19. Tahajjud (Night Prayer)
١٩۔ كتاب التهجد
Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me, "The most beloved prayer to Allah is that of David and the most beloved fasts to Allah are those of David. He used to sleep for half of the night and then pray for one third of the night and again sleep for its sixth part and used to fast on alternate days."
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ أَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَكَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا
I asked ʿAisha which deed was most loved by the Prophet. She said, "A deed done continuously." I further asked, "When did he used to get up (in the night for the prayer)." She said, "He used to get up on hearing the crowing of a cock."
سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتِ الدَّائِمُ قُلْتُ مَتَى كَانَ يَقُومُ قَالَتْ يَقُومُ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ
He (the Prophet ﷺ ) used to get up for the prayer on hearing the crowing of a cock.
سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ قَامَ فَصَلَّى
In my house he (Prophet ﷺ ) never passed the last hours of the night but sleeping.
مَا أَلْفَاهُ السَّحَرُ عِنْدِي إِلاَّ نَائِمًا تَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ ﷺ