I asked 'A'isha whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe the forenoon prayer. She said: No, but when he came back from the journey.  

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ هَلْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى قَالَتْ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَجِيءَ مِنْ مَغِيبِهِ  

I aksed 'A'isha whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe the forenoon prayer. She said: No, except when he came back from a journey.  

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى قَالَتْ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَجِيءَ مِنْ مَغِيبِهِ  

I have never seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observing the supererogatory prayer of the forenoon, but I observed it. And if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ abandoned any act which he in fact loved to do, it was out of fear that if the people practised it constantly, it might become obligatory for them.  

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي سُبْحَةَ الضُّحَى قَطُّ وَإِنِّي لأُسَبِّحُهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيَدَعُ الْعَمَلَ وَهُوَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ النَّاسُ فَيُفْرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ  

that he asked 'A'isha ؓ how many rak'ahs Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed at the forenoon prayer. She replied: Four rak'ahs, but sometimes more as he pleased.  

أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ كَمْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي صَلاَةَ الضُّحَى قَالَتْ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَيَزِيدُ مَا شَاءَ  

" As Allah pleased."  

وَقَالَ يَزِيدُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe four rak'ahs in the forenoon prayer and he sometimes observed more as Allah pleased.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى أَرْبَعًا وَيَزِيدُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ  

A hadith like this has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters.  

عَنْ قَتَادَةَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ  

No one has ever narrated to me that he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observing the forenoon prayer, except Umm Hani. She, however, narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and prayed eight rak'ahs (adding): I never saw a shorter prayer than it except that he performed the bowing and prostration completely. But (one of the narrators) Ibn Bashshar in his narration made no mention of the word:" Never".  

مَا أَخْبَرَنِي أَحَدٌ أَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى إِلاَّ أُمُّ هَانِئٍ فَإِنَّهَا حَدَّثَتْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ دَخَلَ بَيْتَهَا يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ فَصَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ مَا رَأَيْتُهُ صَلَّى صَلاَةً قَطُّ أَخَفَّ مِنْهَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُتِمُّ الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَوْلَهُ قَطُّ  

I had been asking about, as I was desirous to find one among people who should inform me, whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed the forenoon prayer, but I found none to narrate that to me except Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (the real sister of Hadrat 'Ali), who told me that on the day of the Conquest the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came (to our house) after the dawn had (sufficiently) arisen. A cloth was brought and privacy was provided for him (the Holy Prophet). He took a bath and then stood up and observed eight rak'ahs. I do not know whether his Qiyam (standing posture) was longer, or bending or prostration or all of them were of equal duration. She (Umm Hani) further said: I never saw him saying this Nafl prayer prior to it or subsequently. (Al-Muradi narrated on the authority of Yunus that he made no mention of the words:" He informed me." )  

سَأَلْتُ وَحَرَصْتُ عَلَى أَنْ أَجِدَ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ يُخْبِرُنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَبَّحَ سُبْحَةَ الضُّحَى فَلَمْ أَجِدْ أَحَدًا يُحَدِّثُنِي ذَلِكَ غَيْرَ أَنَّ أُمَّ هَانِئٍ بِنْتَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَخْبَرَتْنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتَى بَعْدَ مَا ارْتَفَعَ النَّهَارُ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ فَأُتِيَ بِثَوْبٍ فَسُتِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَاغْتَسَلَ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَرَكَعَ ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ أَدْرِي أَقِيَامُهُ فِيهَا أَطْوَلُ أَمْ رُكُوعُهُ أَمْ سُجُودُهُ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ مُتَقَارِبٌ قَالَتْ فَلَمْ أَرَهُ سَبَّحَهَا قَبْلُ وَلاَ بَعْدُ قَالَ الْمُرَادِيُّ عَنْ يُونُسَ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ أَخْبَرَنِي  

I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and found him taking a bath, and Fatimah, his daughter, had provided him privacy with the help of a cloth. I gave him salutation and he said: Who is she? I said: It is Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Greeting for Umm Hani. When he had completed the bath, he stood up and observed eight rak'ahs wrapped up in one cloth. When he turned back (after the prayer), I said to him: Messenger of Allah, the son of my mother 'Ali b. Abu Talib is going to kill a person, Fulan b. Hubaira whom I have given protection. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: We too have given protection whom you have given protection, O Umm Hani. Umm Hani said: It was the forenoon (prayer).  

ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَغْتَسِلُ وَفَاطِمَةُ ابْنَتُهُ تَسْتُرُهُ بِثَوْبٍ قَالَتْ فَسَلَّمْتُ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذِهِ قُلْتُ أُمُّ هَانِئٍ بِنْتُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِأُمِّ هَانِئٍ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ غُسْلِهِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ مُلْتَحِفًا فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ زَعَمَ ابْنُ أُمِّي عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَنَّهُ قَاتِلٌ رَجُلاً أَجَرْتُهُ فُلاَنُ بْنُ هُبَيْرَةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ أَجَرْنَا مَنْ أَجَرْتِ يَا أُمَّ هَانِئٍ قَالَتْ أُمُّ هَانِئٍ وَذَلِكَ ضُحًى  

Abu Murra narrated on the authority of Umm Hani that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the day of the Conquest of Mecca observed in her house eight rak'ahs of prayer in one cloth, its opposite corners having been tied from the opposite sides.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي بَيْتِهَا عَامَ الْفَتْحِ ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ قَدْ خَالَفَ بَيْنَ طَرَفَيْهِ  

In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is distreputable is an act of charity, and two rak'ahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلاَمَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ فَكُلُّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْىٌ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَانِ يَرْكَعُهُمَا مِنَ الضُّحَى  

three fasts during every month, two rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer, and observing Witr prayer before going to bed.  

أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي ﷺ بِثَلاَثٍ بِصِيَامِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَكْعَتَىِ الضُّحَى وَأَنْ أُوتِرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَرْقُدَ  

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira by another chain of transmitters.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ  

My friend Abu'l-Qasim ﷺ instructed me to do three things, and the rest of the hadith is the same.  

أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ ﷺ بِثَلاَثٍ فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَ حَدِيثِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ  

My Friend ﷺ instructed me in three (acts), and I would never abandon them as long as I live. (And these three things are): Three fasts during every month, the forenoon prayer, and this that I should not sleep till I have observed the Witr prayer.  

أَوْصَانِي حَبِيبِي ﷺ بِثَلاَثٍ لَنْ أَدَعَهُنَّ مَا عِشْتُ بِصِيَامِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَصَلاَةِ الضُّحَى وَبِأَنْ لاَ أَنَامَ حَتَّى أُوتِرَ