Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī

The best prayer after fard is the night prayer and the best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in the month Muharram

muslim:1163b – Zuhayr b. Ḥarb > Jarīr > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

he attributed this to the Prophet ﷺ: He was asked which prayer is best after the obligatory prayers and which fasting is best after the month of Ramadan? He said: (1) The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the one offered in the middle of the night, and (2) the best fast after the month of Ramadan is the fast in the Month of Allah: al-Muharram.  

مسلم:١١٦٣b – وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ يَرْفَعُهُ قَالَ

سُئِلَ أَىُّ الصَّلاَةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَأَىُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فَقَالَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ الصَّلاَةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صِيَامُ شَهْرِ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
ahmad:8026 – ʿAbd al-Raḥman And ʾAbū Saʿīd > Zāʾidah > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, "Which prayer is the best after the obligatory ones?" He replied, "The prayer in the middle of the night." Then he was asked, "Which fasting is the best after Ramadan?" He said, "The month of Allah which you call Muharram."  

أحمد:٨٠٢٦ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ؟ قَالَ الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ قِيلَ أَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ؟ قَالَ شَهْرُ اللهِ الَّذِي تَدْعُونَهُ الْمُحَرَّمَ  

hakim:1155 – Abū al-Faḍl Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Muzakkī > Aḥmad b. Salamah > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. ʿAwf from my father

[Machine] On the authority of Abu Hurairah, he said: It was narrated to the Prophet ﷺ that he was asked, "Which prayer is best after the obligatory prayers?" And, "Which fasting is best after the month of Ramadan?" He replied, "The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the prayer in the middle of the night. And the best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the fasting in the month of Allah, Muharram."  

الحاكم:١١٥٥ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُزَكِّي ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ ثنا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْبَأَ جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ يَرْفَعْهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ؟ وَأَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَ «أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ التَّهَجُّدَ بِاللَّيْلِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ

ibnhibban:2563 – Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Khalīl > Mūsá b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Masrūqī > Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī > Zāʾidah > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Ibn al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd al-Ḥimyarī > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which prayer is best after the obligatory prayers. He said, "Prayer during the middle of the night." He then asked, "Which fasting is best after the month of Ramadan?" He said, "The month of Allah which they call Muharram."  

ابن حبّان:٢٥٦٣ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ خَلِيلٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمَسْرُوقِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ الْحِمْيَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ؟ قَالَ «الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ» قَالَ فَأَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ؟ قَالَ «شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الَّذِي يَدَعُونَهُ الْمُحَرَّمَ»  

nasai-kubra:2918 – ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Zāʾidah > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. al-Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: "Which prayer is best after the obligatory prayers?" He replied, "The prayer in the middle of the night." He was asked: "Which fasting is best after Ramadan?" He replied, "The month of Allah, which you call Muharram."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٩١٨ – أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْتَشِرِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ؟ قَالَ «الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ» قِيلَ أَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ؟ قَالَ «شَهْرُ اللهِ الَّذِي تَدْعُونَهُ الْمُحَرَّمَ»  

bayhaqi:8423 – Abū al-Faḍl b. Ibrāhīm > Aḥmad b. Salamah > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr > Muḥammad b. Muntashir > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, "Which prayer is the best after the obligatory prayers, and which fasting is the best after the month of Ramadan?" He replied, "The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the prayer in the middle of the night, and the best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the fasting in the month of Muharram."  

البيهقي:٨٤٢٣ – فَأَخْبَرَنَاهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أنبأ أَبُو الْفَضْلِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ ثنا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أنبأ جَرِيرٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُنْتَشِرٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أِيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَأِيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صَوْمُ الْمُحَرَّمِ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ عَنْ جَرِيرٍ وَخَالَفَهُمْ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الرَّقِّيُّ فَرَوَاهُ
suyuti:3788a –

The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night. (Using translation from Muslim 1163a)   

السيوطي:٣٧٨٨a –

"أفْضَلُ الصلاة بعدَ المكتوبةِ: الصلاةُ في جوفِ الليل، وأفْضَلُ الصيام بعد شهرِ رمضان: شَهْرُ الله المُحَرَّمُ" .  

[حم] أحمد [ص] سعيد بن منصور [م] مسلم وابن زنجوبه، [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي [ن] النسائي [هـ] ابن ماجة [حب] ابن حبّان عن أبي هريرة، الرويانى، وابن جرير، وصححه، [طب] الطبرانى في الكبير [ق] البيهقى في السنن [ض] ضياء المقدسي في مختاره عن جندب