5/27. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1347 — Balanced Night Prayer and Witr
On The Night Prayer
Balanced Night Prayer: Equal Recitation, Ruku, Sujud, and Witr
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1347
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1347
حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا بَهْزُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، فَذَكَرَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ : يُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ، لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الأَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ، وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ فِيهِ : فَيُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ، وَلاَ يَجْلِسُ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْهُنَّ إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَجْلِسُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ، فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ بِهَا، ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمَةً يَرْفَعُ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ حَتَّى يُوقِظَنَا، ثُمَّ سَاقَ مَعْنَاهُ .
Banu al-Hakim Narrated from:
The above-mentioned tradition has also been narrated by Banu al-Hakim through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: He (the Prophet) would offer the night prayer and go to his bed. In this version there is no mention of praying four rak'ahs. The narrator then transmitted the rest of the tradition.This version further says: He would pray eight rak'ahs during which his recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostration were all equal. He would sit only after the eight rak'ah, and then stand up without uttering the salutation, and pray one rak'ah observing witr prayer and then give the salutation raising his voice so much so that we were about to awake. The narrator then transmitted the tradition to the same effect.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1347In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 98English translation : Book 5, Hadith 1342
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1347
This version of the Hadith adds a clear detail about the Prophet's night prayer. It says he prayed eight rak'ahs, making the recitation, bowing, and prostration equal in them. He did not sit during them except in the eighth. Then he stood without giving salam, prayed one rak'ah as witr, and gave salam with a raised voice. The text also says this version does not mention the four rak'ahs before sleep. So the explanation should stay with what this report says: the prayer was measured, balanced, and ended with witr and a clear salam. It is a useful hadith for searching tahajjud prayer method.
What we learn from this hadith
- The recitation, bowing, and prostration are described as equal in this version.
- The Prophet sat only after the eighth rak'ah before standing for witr.
- Witr was observed with one rak'ah after the eight.
- The raised voice in salam is mentioned in this narration.
