“We asked ‘Ali about the voluntary (prayer) of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ during the day. He said: ‘You will not be able.’ We said: ‘Inform us of it, we will do what we can of it?’ So he said: ‘When he prayed the Fajr he would delay praying any more. When the sun appeared over there (west) – like it appears here, meaning in the direction of the east, about the amount for the ‘Asr prayer from there, meaning in the direction of the west, meaning before the Maghrib – he would stand and perform two Rak’ah* then he would delay praying until the sun appeared over there (west), meaning in the direction of the east, about the amount of the Zuhr prayer from there, then he would stand and perform four. And, four before the Zuhr when the sun passed the zenith, and two Rak’ah after it, and, four before the ‘Asr, separating between every two Rak’ah with Taslim** upon the angels that are close (to Allah), the Prophets, and those who follow them among the Muslims and the believers.’” 'Ali said: "That is sixteen Rak'ah of voluntary prayer which Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed during the day. And there are very few who offer them regularly." Wakiʿ said: “My father added: Habib bin Abu Thabit said: ‘O Abu Ishaq, this mosque filled with gold would not be dearer to me than this Hadith of yours.’” * Meaning, when the sun was low above the eastern horizon. That is the time of the Duha. ** Meaning the Tashah-hud.  

عَنْ تَطَوُّعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لاَ تُطِيقُونَهُ فَقُلْنَا أَخْبِرْنَا بِهِ نَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْنَا قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ بِمِقْدَارِهَا مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ مِنْ هَا هُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مِقْدَارَهَا مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ مِنْ هَا هُنَا قَامَ فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلاَئِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ فَتِلْكَ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ وَقَلَّ مَنْ يُدَاوِمُ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ وَكِيعٌ زَادَ فِيهِ أَبِي فَقَالَ حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ يَا أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِحَدِيثِكَ هَذَا مِلْءَ مَسْجِدِكَ هَذَا ذَهَبًا  

I asked ʿAli ؓ about the nafl prayers of the Prophet ﷺ during the day. He said: You are not able for that. We said: Tell us and we will do as much of it as we can, He said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Fajr, he would wait until the sun would rise from there, meaning in the east, as high as it is at the time of ʿAsr there, meaning in the west. Then he would get up and pray two rakʿahs. Then he would wait until the sun rose as high there, meaning in the east, as it is at the time of Zuhr there, meaning in the west; then he would pray four rakʿahs, and four before Zuhr when the sun passed the meridian, and four afterwards, and four before ‘Asr, He would separate each two rak’ahs with salams upon the angels who are close to Allah, the Prophets, the believers and the Muslims who follow them. ʿAli ؓ said: That is sixteen rakʿahs which the Prophet ﷺ offered as nafl prayers during the day, but there are very few who offer them regularly. Wakee’ narrated; my father said: Habeeb bin Abi Thabit said to Abu Ishaq when he narrated this to him: O Abu Ishaq, this hadeeth of yours is worth this mosque filled with gold.  

عَنْ تَطَوُّعِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تُطِيقُونَهُ قَالَ قُلْنَا أَخْبِرْنَا بِهِ نَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ مَا أَطَقْنَا قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ أَمْهَلَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مِقْدَارُهَا مِنْ صَلاةِ الْعَصْرِ مِنْ هَاهُنَا مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مِقْدَارُهَا مِنْ صَلاةِ الظُّهْرِ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ تِلْكَ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ وَقَلَّ مَنْ يُدَاوِمُ عَلَيْهَا  

[Machine] About the voluntary prayers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the day, he asked, "Who among you can bear it?" We said, "We will take from him what we can handle." He used to delay until the sun appeared similar to its appearance from the west at the time of Asr (afternoon prayer), then he stood up and prayed two units of prayer. Then he delayed until the sun rose and set, and it was similar to its appearance from the east at Dhuhr (noon prayer), then he stood up and prayed four units of prayer, separating each two units with the tasleem (saying salutation). He then delayed until the sun disappeared, and he prayed four units of prayer before Dhuhr, separating each two units with the tasleem. Then he mentioned the tradition in a similar manner. These are the sixteen voluntary units of prayer that the Prophet ﷺ used to perform during the day, and he rarely continued with them. This was mentioned exclusively by 'Asim bin Damrah from 'Ali, and Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak used to increase it, and his narration of this tradition was criticized. And Allah knows best.  

عَنْ تَطَوَّعِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ فَقَالَ مَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ؟ قُلْنَا نَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ مَا أَطَقْنَا قَالَ كَانَ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا ارْتَفَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَحَلَّقَتْ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ ثُمَّ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ صَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ يَفْصِلُ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي بَعْدَهَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ بِنَحْوِهِ فَهَذِهِ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ وَقَلَّمَا يُدَاوِمُ عَلَيْهَا تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ عَاصِمُ بْنُ ضَمْرَةَ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ يُضَعِّفُهُ فَيَطْعَنُ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ  

"عن عاصم بن ضمرة قال: سألنَا عليّا عن تطوع النبىِّ ﷺ بالنهارِ فقالَ: إنكم لا تُطِيقُونَهُ، قُلنا: أَخبرنا بِهِ نأخذُ منه ما أطَقْنَا، قال: كان النبي ﷺ إذَا صلَّى الفجرَ أَمْهَلَ حتى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشمسُ من هَاهُنَا يعنى من قِبَل المشرِق مقدارَهَا من صلاة العصرِ من هَاهُنَا يعنى من قِبَلِ المغرِب قامَ فصلَّى ركعتينِ ثم تمهلَ حتَّى إذا كانتِ الشمسُ من هَاهُنَا يَعْنِى مِن قِبَلِ المشرقِ مقدارها مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظهرِ من هاهُنَا مِن قِبَل المغربِ قام يُصَلَّى أربعًا، وأربعا قبل الظهر إذا زالتِ الشمسُ وركعتَيْنِ بعدهَا، وأربعًا قبلَ العصرِ، يفصِلُ بين كل ركعتين بالتسليم على الملائكةِ المقربينَ والنبيينَ ومن تبعهمْ منَ المؤمنينَ والمسلمينَ، قال: تلكَ ستَ عشرةَ ركعةً تطوع رسول الله ﷺ وقل من يُدَاومُ عليهَا".

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