5/27. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1367 — Waking for Night Prayer
On The Night Prayer
Hadith About Waking for Night Prayer and Ending with Witr
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1367
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1367
حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ مَخْرَمَةَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ : أَنَّهُ، بَاتَ عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ خَالَتُهُ - قَالَ - فَاضْطَجَعْتُ فِي عَرْضِ الْوِسَادَةِ، وَاضْطَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَهْلُهُ فِي طُولِهَا، فَنَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ - أَوْ قَبْلَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ، أَوْ بَعْدَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ - اسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَلَسَ يَمْسَحُ النَّوْمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ بِيَدِهِ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ الْعَشْرَ الآيَاتِ الْخَوَاتِمَ مِنْ سُورَةِ آلِ عِمْرَانَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى شَنٍّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ مِنْهَا فَأَحْسَنَ وُضُوءَهُ، ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : فَقُمْتُ فَصَنَعْتُ مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعَ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبْتُ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، فَوَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى رَأْسِي فَأَخَذَ بِأُذُنِي يَفْتِلُهَا، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، قَالَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ : سِتَّ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ، حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ فَقَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ .
`Abdullah bin `Abbas Narrated from:
Narrated 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas: That he spent a night with Maimunah, wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), who was also his (Ibn 'Abbas's) maternal aunt. I lay towards the width of the pillow and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife slept towards its length. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept.When half the night passed, or a little before it or a little after it, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) awoke and began to rub his face (eyes) to remove the sleep. He then recited ten verses from the last part of Surah 'Al-Imran. Hen then came to a bag of water that was hanging. He performed ablution from it and performed his ablution well.He then stood up and prayed. I also got up and did as he did. I then went and stood at his side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his right hand upon my head and took me by my ear twisting it. He then prayed two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs. The narrator al-Qa'nabi said: Six times. He observed the witr prayer, and then slept until the mu'adhdhin came. He got up and prayed two light rak'ahs and then came out and offered the dawn prayer.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1367In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 118English translation : Book 5, Hadith 1362
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1367
This hadith about night prayer gives a detailed report from Abdullah ibn Abbas during a night he spent with Maimunah, the wife of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The Prophet slept, then woke around the middle of the night, rubbed sleep from his face, and recited ten verses from the end of Surah Al Imran. He then made a careful ablution from a hanging water bag and stood to pray. Ibn Abbas copied what he did and stood beside him. The Prophet placed his right hand on Ibn Abbas's head and took him by the ear. He prayed pairs of two rak'ahs, then observed witr, then lay down until the mu'adhdhin came. After that he prayed two light rak'ahs and went out for the dawn prayer. This report is useful for learning the Prophet's night prayer routine from the wording itself.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) woke for night prayer around the middle of the night in this report.
- He recited ten verses from the end of Surah Al Imran before prayer.
- He performed ablution well before standing to pray.
- His night prayer ended with witr, followed later by two light rak'ahs before dawn prayer.
