Sahih al-Bukhari Prayer at Night (Tahajjud)

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ah in the night prayer including Witr, plus two (voluntary) Rak‘ahs of the Fajr prayer

Chapter: How was the Salat of the Prophet (pbuh) and how many Rak'a he used to offer at night?

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 1140

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا الْوِتْرُ وَرَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ‏.‏

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs in the night prayer including Witr, plus two (voluntary) Rak‘ahs of the Fajr prayer.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 1140), Muslim (No. 737a, 737c, 738e), Abu Dawud (No. 1334, 1338, 1340, 1350, 1360), At-Tirmidhi (No. 459), Ibn Majah (No. 1359), Ahmad (No. 23106, 24125, 24155, 24599, 24674, 24746, 25154) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1535).

Explanation

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs in the night prayer including Witr on a regular basis, regardless of whether it was during Ramadan or not. Likewise, he adhered to offering two voluntary Rak‘ahs of the Fajr prayer. It means that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do this most of the time. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was reported to devote himself more in worshiping Allah in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he strives in any other time in the year. It implies that the Rak‘ahs are increased in length, not in number. In fact, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen or eleven Rak‘āhs on some occasions and on other occasions he used to pray less than that.

Explanation in Arabic

تخبر عائشة رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يداوم على صلاة ثلاث عشرة ركعة في الليل ومنها الوتر سواء أكان ذلك في رمضان أو غيره، وكذلك كان يداوم على ركعتي الفجر، والمراد بالمداومة الإكثار، لما ورد من أنه -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- إذا دخل العشر الأواخر من رمضان يجتهد فيه ما لا يجتهد في غيره، فهو محمول على التطويل في الركعات دون الزيادة في العدد، وقد كان -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- يصلي ثلاث عشرة، ويصلي إحدى عشرة، وجاء أنه يصلي أقل من ذلك.

الأفضل العمل بجميع الروايات الثابتة عن النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- في قيام الليل، وما ورد في هذا الحديث أحد هذه الصفات.
أن هذا الحديث يبين إحدى كيفيات صلاة الليل التي فعلها -عليه السلام-، فقد صلى عشر ركعات مثنى مثنى وصلى ثلاث ركعات وتراً.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

حَدِيثهَا مِنْ طَرِيق الْقَاسِم عَنْهَا " كَانَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْل ثَلَاث عَشْرَة مِنْهَا الْوِتْر وَرَكْعَتَا الْفَجْر " وَفِي رِوَايَة مُسْلِم مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْه " كَانَتْ صَلَاته عَشْر رَكَعَات وَيُوتِر بِسَجْدَةٍ وَيَرْكَع رَكْعَتَيْ الْفَجْر فَتِلْكَ ثَلَاث عَشْرَة " فَأَمَّا مَا أَجَابَتْ بِهِ مَسْرُوقًا فَمُرَادهَا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ وَقَعَ مِنْهُ فِي أَوْقَات مُخْتَلِفَة , فَتَارَة كَانَ يُصَلِّي سَبْعًا وَتَارَة تِسْعًا وَتَارَة إِحْدَى عَشْرَة. وَأَمَّا حَدِيث الْقَاسِم عَنْهَا فَمَحْمُول عَلَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ غَالِب حَاله , وَسَيَأْتِي بَعْد خَمْسَة أَبْوَاب مِنْ رِوَايَة أَبِي سَلَمَة عَنْهَا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ أَكْثَر مَا يُصَلِّيه فِي اللَّيْل , وَلَفْظه " مَا كَانَ يَزِيد فِ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 1140

Grades of other versions (1)

AuthenticAl-Albani صحيح — صحيح الجامع (4969)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 737a

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe thirteen rak'ahs of the night prayer. Five out of them consisted of Witr, and he did not sit, but at the end (for salutation).

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِخَمْسٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِي شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ فِي آخِرِهَا ‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 737c

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night including the two rak'ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer.

يُصَلِّي ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً بِرَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 738e

It is reported on the authority of 'A'isha that the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the night consisted of ten rak'ahs. He observed a Witr and two rak'ahs (of Sunan) of the dawn prayer, and thus the total comes to thirteen rak'ahs.

كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ اللَّيْلِ عَشَرَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَيُوتِرُ بِسَجْدَةٍ وَيَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ فَتِلْكَ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1334

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray ten rak'ahs during the night, and would observe the witr with one rak'ah, he then prayed two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. Thus he prayed thirteen rak'ahs in all.

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ عَشْرَ رَكَعَاتٍ، وَيُوتِرُ بِسَجْدَةٍ، وَيَسْجُدُ سَجْدَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ، فَذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1338

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night, observing a witr out of that with five, he did not sit during the five except the last and then gave the salutation. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Numair reported it from Hisham recently.

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ مِنْهَا بِخَمْسٍ، لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الْخَمْسِ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ فِي الآخِرَةِ فَيُسَلِّمَ ‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1340

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night. He would offer eight rak'ahs observing the witr with one rak'ah. Then he prayed (the narrator Muslim said) two rak'ahs after witr prayer in sitting position. When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed. He used to pray two rak'ahs…

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ، وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي - قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ ‏:‏ بَعْدَ الْوِتْرِ، ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا - رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ، فَإِذَا…

Narrated by Ā’ishah

See all 20 versions

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1350

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night, observing the witr prayer with nine (or as she said). He used to pray two rak'ahs while sitting and pray two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer between the adhan and the iqamah.

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ بِسَبْعٍ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَتْ، وَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ، وَرَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ بَيْنَ الأَذَانِ وَالإِقَامَةِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1360

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night including the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer.

يُصَلِّي بِاللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً بِرَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 459

"The night prayer of Allah's Messenger was thirteen Rak'ah, five of which were his Witr, not sitting in any of them except at the end of them. When the Mu'adh-dhin called the Adhan he would stand to perform two light (Rak'ah)."

كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِخَمْسٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْهُنَّ إِلاَّ فِي آخِرِهِنَّ فَإِذَا أَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ قَامَ فَصَلَّى…

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 1359

“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen Rak’ah at night.”

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 23106