[Machine] The Prophet's wife informed him that the Messenger of Allah went out one night in the middle of the night to pray in the mosque. Some men prayed with him and the people spoke about it. More people gathered the next night and the Messenger of Allah went out to pray and they prayed with him. The number of people increased on the third night and the Messenger of Allah went out to pray and they prayed with him. However, on the fourth night, the mosque was unable to accommodate its people and the Messenger of Allah did not come out to them. Some of the men said that they should pray and the Messenger of Allah did not come out to them until he came out for the morning prayer. After completing the Fajr prayer, he turned to the people and said, "Indeed, your matter did not escape me tonight, but I feared that it would be imposed upon you and you would be unable to fulfill it." The Messenger of Allah used to encourage them to observe the night prayers in Ramadan without explicitly commanding them to do so. He used to say, "Whoever observes Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven for him." The Messenger of Allah passed away and this continued to be the practice during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and the beginning of the caliphate of Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Uruwah reported, and Abdur Rahman ibn Abdir Rahim, who used to work with Umar, reported that Umar went out one night during Ramadan and Abdur Rahman went out with him. They walked around the mosque and the people were praying individually, and some were praying in groups. Umar said, "By Allah, I think if we gather them behind one reciter, it would be better than what they are doing." Umar decided to gather them behind one reciter and commanded Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead them in prayer during Ramadan. Umar went out with the people and they prayed behind the reciter, and Abdur Rahman ibn Abdir Rahim was with him. Umar said, "What an excellent innovation this is, and the one who neglects it is better than the one who stays up till the end of the night." The people used to pray in the early part of the night.
زَوْجَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى رِجَالٌ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاتِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ فَتَحَدَّثُوا بِذَلِكَ فَاجْتَمَعَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُمْ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ اللَّيْلَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَصَلَّى فَصَلَّوْا مَعَهُ فَتَحَدَّثُوا بِذَلِكَ فَكَثُرَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلَاتِهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ عَجَزَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَطَفِقَ رِجَالٌ مِنْهُمْ يَقُولُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى خَرَجَ لِصَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلَاةَ الْفَجْرِ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَتَشَهَّدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيَّ شَأْنُكُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ وَلَكِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَعْجَزُوا عَنْهَا وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُهُمْ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةِ أَمْرٍ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالْأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ خِلَافَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلَافَةِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ 4603 قَالَ عُرْوَةُ وَأَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيُّ وَكَانَ مِنْ عُمَّالِ عُمْرَ ؓ وَكَانَ يَعْمَلُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْأَرْقَمِ عَلَى بَيْتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ خَرَجَ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَانَ فَخَرَجَ مَعَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَطَافَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَأَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلَاتِهِ الرَّهْطُ قَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ وَاللهِ لَأَظُنُّ لَوْ جَمَعْنَاهُمْ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ لَكَانَ أَمْثَلَ فَعَزَمَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ عَلَى أَنْ يَجْمَعَهُمْ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ فَأَمَرَ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ ؓ أَنْ يَقُومَ بِهِمْ فِي رَمَضَانَ فَخَرَجَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاةِ قَارِئٍ لَهُمْ وَمَعَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيُّ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ وَالَّتِي يَنَامُونَ عَنْهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي يَقُومُونَ يُرِيدُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يَقُومُونَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ