The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ فِيهِ بِعَزِيمَةٍ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي خِلاَفَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلاَفَةِ عُمَرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ  

"Urwah bin Az-Zubair told me that 'Aishah told him: 'The Messenger of Allah went out in the middle of the night to pray in the Masjid, and he led the people in prayer; and he quoted the same Hadith, in which she said: 'He used to encourage the people to pray Qiyam n Ramadan, without insisting on that.' He said: 'Whoever spends the night of Lailat Al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.' He said: 'And the Messenger of Allah passed away when this was the state of affairs."" '  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ وَفِيهِ قَالَتْ فَكَانَ يُرَغِّبُهُمْ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةٍ وَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ قَالَ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ  

"The Messenger of Allah went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the Masjid," and he quoted the same Hadith, in which he said: "nd he encouraged them to pray Qiyam in Ramadan, without insisting on that, and he said: 'Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer (Qiyam) out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins." '  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ وَقَالَ فِيهِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُهُمْ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةِ أَمْرٍ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ  

"The Messenger of Allah used to encourage (us) to pray Qiyam during Ramadan, without insisting on that, and he said: 'Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer (Qiyam) out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins'  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةٍ قَالَ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to commend prayer at night during Ramadan, but did not command it as duty. He would say: If anyone prays during the night in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven for him. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and early part of 'Umar's. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by 'Uqail, Yunus, and Abu Uwais in like manner. The version of 'Uqail goes: He who fasts during Ramadan and prays during the night.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةٍ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي خِلاَفَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلاَفَةِ عُمَرَ ؓ  

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to exhort people to watch the night in prayer in Ramadan but never ordered it definitely. He used to say, "Whoever watches the night in prayer in Ramadan with trust and expectancy, will be forgiven all his previous wrong actions." Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ died while that was still the custom, and it continued to be the custom in the caliphate of Abu Bakr and at the beginning of the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ بِعَزِيمَةٍ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي خِلاَفَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلاَفَةِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ  

"The Messenger of Allah used to encourage (us) to pray Qiyam during Ramadan, without insisting on that, and he said: 'Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer (Qiyam) out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2198)  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةٍ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ  

"The Messenger of Allah went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the Masjid," and he quoted the same Hadith, in which he said: "nd he encouraged them to pray Qiyam in Ramadan, without insisting on that, and he said: 'Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer (Qiyam) out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins." ' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2195)  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ وَقَالَ فِيهِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُهُمْ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةِ أَمْرٍ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ «مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ»