“We fasted Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he did not lead us in praying Qiyam (prayers at night) during any part of it, until there were seven nights left. He led us in praying Qiyam on the seventh night until approximately one third of the night had passed. Then on the sixth night which followed it he did not lead us in prayer. Then he led us in praying Qiyam on the fifth night which followed it until almost half the night had passed. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, would that we had offered voluntary prayers throughout the whole night.’ He said: ‘Whoever stands with the Imam until he finishes, it is equivalent to spending the whole night in prayer.’ Then on the fourth night which followed it, he did not lead us in prayer, until the third night that followed it, when he gathered his wives and family, and the people gathered, and he led us in prayer until we feared that we would miss the Falah.” It was asked: “What is the Falah?” He said: “Suhur.” He said: “Then he did not lead us in prayer at night for the rest of the month.”  

صُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا شَيْئًا مِنْهُ حَتَّى بَقِيَ سَبْعُ لَيَالٍ فَقَامَ بِنَا لَيْلَةَ السَّابِعَةِ حَتَّى مَضَى نَحْوٌ مِنْ ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ السَّادِسَةُ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَلَمْ يَقُمْهَا حَتَّى كَانَتِ الْخَامِسَةُ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا ثُمَّ قَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى مَضَى نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ نَفَّلْتَنَا بَقِيَّةَ لَيْلَتِنَا هَذِهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْدِلُ قِيَامَ لَيْلَةٍ ثُمَّ كَانَتِ الرَّابِعَةُ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَلَمْ يَقُمْهَا حَتَّى كَانَتِ الثَّالِثَةُ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا قَالَ فَجَمَعَ نِسَاءَهُ وَأَهْلَهُ وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ قَالَ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفُوتَنَا الْفَلاَحُ قِيلَ وَمَا الْفَلاَحُ قَالَ السُّحُورُ قَالَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا شَيْئًا مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ الشَّهْرِ  

We fasted with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during Ramadan, but he did not make us get up at night for prayer at any time during the month till seven nights remained; then he made us get up for prayer till a third of the night had passed. When the sixth remaining night came, he did not make us get up for prayer. When the fifth remaining night came, he made us stand in prayer till a half of the night had gone. So I said: Messenger of Allah, I wish you had led us in supererogatory prayers during the whole of tonight. He said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer. On the fourth remaining night he did not make us get up. When the third remaining night came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people and prayed with us till we were afraid we should miss the falah (success). I said: What is falah? He said: The meal before daybreak. Then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1375)   

صُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا مِنَ الشَّهْرِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى بَقِيَ سَبْعٌ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ نَحْوٌ مِنْ ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا اللَّيْلَةَ الرَّابِعَةَ وَقَامَ بِنَا اللَّيْلَةَ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ لَوْ نَفَّلْتَنَا بَقِيَّةَ لَيْلَتِنَا هَذِهِ قَالَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا قَامَ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ حُسِبَ لَهُ بَقِيَّةُ لَيْلَتِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا السَّادِسَةَ وَقَامَ بِنَا السَّابِعَةَ قَالَ وَبَعَثَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفُوتَنَا الْفَلَاحُ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمَا الْفَلَاحُ؟ قَالَ السُّحُورُ