20. Night and Voluntary Prayers
٢٠۔ كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار
"Every time we wanted to see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying at night we saw him, and every time we wanted to see him sleeping, we saw him."
أَنْ نَرَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي اللَّيْلِ مُصَلِّيًا إِلاَّ رَأَيْنَاهُ وَلاَ نَشَاءُ أَنْ نَرَاهُ نَائِمًا إِلاَّ رَأَيْنَاهُ
"He used to pray 'Isha, then he would recite tasbih, then after that he would pray whatever Allah (SWT) willed (he should pray) of night prayer. Then he would go and sleep for as long as he had prayed. Then he would get up from sleep and pray for as long as he had slept, and this last prayer of his would continue until dawn."
عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْعَتَمَةَ ثُمَّ يُسَبِّحُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي بَعْدَهَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ فَيَرْقُدُ مِثْلَ مَا صَلَّى ثُمَّ يَسْتَيْقِظُ مِنْ نَوْمِهِ ذَلِكَ فَيُصَلِّي مِثْلَ مَا نَامَ وَصَلاَتُهُ تِلْكَ الآخِرَةُ تَكُونُ إِلَى الصُّبْحِ
"What do you want to know about his prayer (I.e., you can never match it)? He used to pray, then sleep for as long as he had prayed, then he would pray as long as he had slept, then he would sleep as long as he had prayed, until dawn came." Then she described to him his recitation, and she described a clear recitation in which every letter was distinct.
أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَنْ صَلاَتِهِ فَقَالَتْ مَا لَكُمْ وَصَلاَتَهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّي ثُمَّ يَنَامُ قَدْرَ مَا صَلَّى ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي قَدْرَ مَا نَامَ ثُمَّ يَنَامُ قَدْرَ مَا صَلَّى حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ ثُمَّ نَعَتَتْ لَهُ قِرَاءَتَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَنْعَتُ قِرَاءَةً مُفَسَّرَةً حَرْفًا حَرْفًا