The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in the masjid one night, and some people followed his prayer. Then he prayed the following night and more people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. When morning came he said: "I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you but the fact that I feared that this would be made obligatory for you," and that was in Ramadan.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ وَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

"We fasted with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Ramadan and he did not lead us in praying Qiyam until there were seven days left in the month, when he led us in praying Qiyam until one-third of the night had passed. Then he did not lead us in praying Qiyam when there were six days left. Then he led us praying Qiyam when there were five days left until one-half of the night had passed. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if we spend the rest of this night praying Nafl?" He said: "Whoever prays Qiyam with the Imam until he finishes, Allah (SWT) will record for him the Qiyam of a (whole) night." Then he did not lead us in prayer or pray Qiyam until there were three days of the month left. Then he led us in praying Qiyam when there were three days left. He gathered his family and wives (and led us in prayer) until we feared that we would miss Al-Falah. I (one of the narrators) said: "What is Al-Falah?" He said: "The suhur".  

صُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا حَتَّى بَقِيَ سَبْعٌ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا فِي السَّادِسَةِ فَقَامَ بِنَا فِي الْخَامِسَةِ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ شَطْرُ اللَّيْلِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ نَفَّلْتَنَا بَقِيَّةَ لَيْلَتِنَا هَذِهِ قَالَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ قِيَامَ لَيْلَةٍ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُصَلِّ بِنَا وَلَمْ يَقُمْ حَتَّى بَقِيَ ثَلاَثٌ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ فَقَامَ بِنَا فِي الثَّالِثَةِ وَجَمَعَ أَهْلَهُ وَنِسَاءَهُ حَتَّى تَخَوَّفْنَا أَنْ يَفُوتَنَا الْفَلاَحُ قُلْتُ وَمَا الْفَلاَحُ قَالَ السُّحُورُ  

"I heard An-Nu'man bin Bashir on the minbar in Hims saying: "We prayed Qiyam with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during Ramadan on the night of the twenty-third until one-third of the night had passed, then we prayed Qiyam with him on the night of the twenty-fifth until one-half of the night had passed, then we prayed Qiyam with him on the night of the twenty-seventh until we thought that we would miss Al-Falah- that is what they used to call suhur."  

سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ حِمْصَ يَقُولُ قُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ لَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ قُمْنَا مَعَهُ لَيْلَةَ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ إِلَى نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ قُمْنَا مَعَهُ لَيْلَةَ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنْ لاَ نُدْرِكَ الْفَلاَحَ وَكَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ السُّحُورَ