63 hadith in this book; 63 translated into English.
Chapter 1Chapter: The Tahajjud Prayer at night
Chapter introduction
And the Statement of Allah جل جلاله : “And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salat (prayer) with it (i.e., recite the Qur'an in the prayer), as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer — Nawafil) for you... (O Muhammad ﷺ)” (V.17:79).
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)No. 1120
احْتَبَسَ جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ أَبْطَأَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْطَانُهُ. فَنَزَلَتْ {وَالضُّحَى * وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى * مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ…
Narrated by Jundab ibn Abdullah
Chapter 5Chapter: The Prophet's (pbuh) exhorting to Tahajjud and Nawafil without making them compulsory
Chapter introduction
The Prophet ﷺ went to ‘Ali and Fatima رضي الله عنهما at night and knocked their door to exhort them to perform Salat (i.e. night prayers).
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give up a deed, even though he liked to perform it, for fear that people would follow him and perform it, and it would thus become obligatory for them. The Prophet (may…
لَيَدَعُ الْعَمَلَ وَهْوَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ النَّاسُ فَيُفْرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَمَا سَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُبْحَةَ الضُّحَى قَطُّ، وَإِنِّي لأُسَبِّحُهَا.
صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ قَائِمًا حَتَّى هَمَمْتُ بِأَمْرِ سَوْءٍ. قُلْنَا وَمَا هَمَمْتَ قَالَ هَمَمْتَ أَنْ أَقْعُدَ وَأَذَرَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
‘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.
Chapter 11Chapter: The waking up of the Prophet ﷺ from his sleep for the night prayer and what (how much) was cancelled from the night prayer
Chapter introduction
And the Statement of Allah تعالى: “O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that, or a little more; and recite the Qur'an (aloud) in a slow (pleasant tone and) style. Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (i.e. obligations, laws). Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing (oneself), and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allah). Verily, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties.” (V.73:1-7)
And Allah's Statement: “…He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you (in mercy). So, recite you of the Qur’an as much as may be easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah’s Bounty, yet others fighting in Allah’s Cause. So recite as much of the Qur’an as may be easy (for you), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah, a goodly loan, and whatever good you send before you for yourselves, (i.e. Nawafil — non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and Umra, etc.), you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward...” (V.73:20)
"When any of you sleeps, the devil ties three knots at the back of his head, striking each knot: Ahead of you is a long night, so keep sleeping. When he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; when he performs ablution, one knot is undone; and when he prays, one knot is undone, and he…
Chapter 14Chapter: Offering Salat (prayer) and invoking Allah in the last hours of the night
Chapter introduction
And Allah جل جلاله says: “They used to sleep but little by night, [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying with fear and hope]. And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness.” (V.51:17,18)
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)No. 1145
"Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains and says: ‘Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give him? Who seeks forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?'"
Chapter 15Chapter: Sleeping in the first part of the night and getting up in its last part
Chapter introduction
Salman asked Abi Ad-Darda’ to sleep, and when it was the last part of the night, he told him to get up. (When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ), he said, “Salman said the truth.”
Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān (may Allah have mercy upon him) reported that he asked ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) how the Prophet's prayer was in Ramadan. She said: "Neither in Ramadan, nor in any other month, did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)…
مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلاَ فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا فَلاَ تَسَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا فَلاَ تَسَلْ…
"O Bilāl, tell me of the most rewarding deed you have done in Islam, for verily I heard the scuffle of your sandals ahead of me in Paradise." He (Bilāl) said: I do not consider any deed I have done more rewarding except that I never made ablution at any time of night or day without praying with…
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came one day into the mosque and saw a rope stretched between two poles. He inquired: "What is this rope for?" He was told: "This is Zaynab's rope. When she feels tired (in voluntary prayer)…
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O ‘Abdullāh, do not be like so-and-so. He used to offer Qiyām al-Layl and then abandoned it."
صَلَّى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ جَالِسًا وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَيْنَ النِّدَاءَيْنِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَدَعُهُمَا أَبَدًا.
Chapter 25Chapter: What is said about the Nawafil being offered as two Rak'a followed by two and so on
Chapter introduction
And this has been narrated by ‘Ammar, Abu Dhar, Anas, Jabir bin Zaid, ‘Ikrima, and Az-Zuhri رضي الله عنهم.
Yahya bin Sa’id Al-Ansari said, “I saw the religious learned men of our town (Al-Madina) offering two Rak‘a of Nawafil and finishing them with Taslim during the day.”