Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her.  

أَنْ يَغْزُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَبِيعَ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي السِّلاَحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ وَيُجَاهِدَ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ لَقِيَ أُنَاسًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَنَهَوْهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا ذَلِكَ فِي حَيَاةِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنَهَاهُمْ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ فِيَّ أُسْوَةٌ فَلَمَّا حَدَّثُوهُ بِذَلِكَ رَاجَعَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَقَدْ كَانَ طَلَّقَهَا وَأَشْهَدَ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا فَأَتَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ فَأْتِهَا فَاسْأَلْهَا ثُمَّ ائْتِنِي فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا لأَنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهِمَا إِلاَّ مُضِيًّا قَالَ فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا عَلَيْهَا فَأَذِنَتْ لَنَا فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ أَحَكِيمٌ فَعَرَفَتْهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَتْ مَنْ مَعَكَ قَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ مَنْ هِشَامٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ خَيْرًا قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَكَانَ أُصِيبَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ وَلاَ أَسْأَلَ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي فَقُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ} قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلاً وَأَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ التَّخْفِيفَ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَنَعَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ مِثْلَ صَنِيعِهِ الأَوَّلِ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَىَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلاَ صَلَّى لَيْلَةً إِلَى الصُّبْحِ وَلاَ صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسِ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَقْرَبُهَا أَوْ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي بِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ لاَ تَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثَهَا  

[Machine] I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a narration that I heard with my ears and it settled in my heart. He said, "Indeed, there was a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then, he felt remorse and sincerely sought repentance. He asked who the most knowledgeable person on earth was, so he was directed to a monk. He went to him and said, 'I have killed ninety-nine people, is there any chance for repentance for me?' The monk asked, 'After killing ninety-nine people?' The man replied, 'Yes.' So the monk told him, 'Then there is no chance for repentance for you.' The man became enraged and killed the monk with his sword, thus completing his murder count to a hundred. He still sought repentance and asked who the most knowledgeable person on earth was, so he was directed to a scholar. He went to him and said, 'I have killed a hundred souls, is there any chance for repentance for me?' The scholar replied, 'Who stands between you and repentance? Leave this corrupted town and go to such and such righteous town and worship your Lord there.' The man left for the righteous town but he died on the way. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over his case. Satan said, 'I am the one who deserves him, for he never disobeyed me for a moment.' The angels of mercy argued, 'He went out as a repentant person.' Then, a man named Hamaam related from Humaid At-Taweel, who related from Bakr ibn Abdullah Al-Muzani, who related from Abu Raafi', who said, 'Allah sent an angel to decide the matter.' They presented the case to him and he instructed them to measure the distance between the two towns to determine which town was closer to the man's location at the time of his death. It was found that the righteous town was closer, so he was included among the people of that town."  

سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَمِعَتْهُ أُذُنَايَ وَوَعَاهُ قَلْبِي إِنَّ عَبْدًا قَتَلَ تِسْعَةًوَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا ثُمَّ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ التَّوْبَةُ فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ؟ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ تِسْعَةٍ وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا؟ قَالَ فَانْتَضَى سَيْفَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ بِهِ فَأَكْمَلَ بِهِ مِائَةً ثُمَّ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ التَّوْبَةُ فَسَأَلَ عَنْ أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ؟ فَدُلَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِائَةَ نَفْسٍ فَهَلْ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ وَمَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ التَّوْبَةِ اخْرُجْ مِنَ الْقَرْيَةِ الْخَبِيثَةِ الَّتِي أَنْتَ فِيهَا إِلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ قَرْيَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ فِيهَا قَالَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ فَعَرَضَ لَهُ أَجَلُهُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ قَالَ فَاخْتَصَمَتْ فِيهِ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْعَذَابِ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِبْلِيسُ أَنَا أَوْلَى بِهِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْصِنِي سَاعَةً قَطُّ قَالَ فَقَالَتْ مَلَائِكَةُ الرَّحْمَةِ إِنَّهُ خَرَجَ تَائِبًا قَالَ هَمَّامٌ فَحَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدٌ الطَّوِيلُ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ اللهُ ﷻ لَهُ مَلَكًا فَاخْتَصَمُوا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى حَدِيثِ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ انْظُرُوا أَيُّ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ إِلَيْهِ فَأَلْحِقُوهُ بِأَهْلِهَا قَالَ قَتَادَةُ فَحَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ قَالَ لَمَّا عَرَفَ الْمَوْتَ احْتَفَزَ بِنَفْسِهِ فَقَرَّبَ اللهُ ﷻ مِنْهُ الْقَرْيَةَ الصَّالِحَةَ وَبَاعَدَ مِنْهُ الْقَرْيَةَ الْخَبِيثَةَ فَأَلْحَقُوهُ بِأَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ