what you wish." It was narrated by Abu Dawood (84). The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The best prayer is the prayer of David; he used to sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth of it" (85). In the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas regarding the description of the tahajjud (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), he slept until the middle of the night, or a little before it, or a little after it, then he awoke—and he described his tahajjud until he said: Then he performed witr, then he lay down until the caller to prayer arrived. From 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to sleep during the first part of the night and revive the latter part of it. Then, if he had a need for his wife, he would fulfill his need, then he would sleep (86). When the first call [to prayer] came, he would spring up and pour water over himself, and if he had no need, he would perform ablution. She said: [The dawn (sahar)] (87) did not find the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in my house except while sleeping. Agreed upon (88). In a narration by Abu Dawood: He would not reach the dawn without having finished
(84) Previously cited on page 526. (85) Extracted by Muslim, in: The chapter on the prohibition of fasting perpetually for one who is harmed by it... etc., from the Book of Fasting. Sahih Muslim 2/816. And al-Nasa'i, in: The chapter mentioning the night prayer of the Prophet of Allah David, peace be upon him, from the Book of Night Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 3/174, 175. And Ibn Majah, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the fasting of David, peace be upon him, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/546. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/160. (86) In A and M: "slept". (87) In M: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not find me at the time of dawn." What is in the original and A is the wording of Muslim. (88) The first [narration] was extracted by al-Bukhari, in: The chapter on reciting the Quran after a minor impurity and others, from the Book of Ablution; and in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding Witr, from the Book of Witr; and in: The chapter on the hand's assistance in prayer if it is part of the prayer's matters, from the Book of Actions in Prayer; and in: The chapter on His saying: {Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire - You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers there are no helpers}, and the chapter on His saying: {Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith}, from the Book of Interpretation [Tafsir]. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/56, 57, 2/30, 77, 78, 6/52, 53. And Muslim, in: The chapter on supplication during the night prayer and standing for it, from the Book of the Traveler's Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/526, 527. It was also extracted by Abu Dawood, in: The chapter on the night prayer, from the Book of Voluntary Prayers. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/315. And al-Nasa'i, in: The chapter mentioning how to commence the standing [for prayer], from the Book of Night Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 1/433, 434. And Ibn Majah, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding how much one should pray at night, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/433, 434. And Imam Malik, in: The chapter on the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prayer during Witr, from the Book of Night Prayer. Al-Muwatta 1/121, 122. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/220, 242. The second [narration] was extracted by al-Bukhari, in: The chapter on one who sleeps during the first part of the night and revives the latter part, from the Book of Tahajjud. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/66. And Muslim, in: The chapter on the night prayer... etc., from the Book of the Traveler's Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/510.
