2/158. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 873 — Night Prayer
What A Person Should Say In His Ruku' And Prostration
Hadith About Night Prayer and Reflective Recitation
Sunan Abi Dawud : 873
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 873
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَوْفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ، قَالَ قُمْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً فَقَامَ فَقَرَأَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ لاَ يَمُرُّ بِآيَةِ رَحْمَةٍ إِلاَّ وَقَفَ فَسَأَلَ وَلاَ يَمُرُّ بِآيَةِ عَذَابٍ إِلاَّ وَقَفَ فَتَعَوَّذَ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ رَكَعَ بِقَدْرِ قِيَامِهِ يَقُولُ فِي رُكُوعِهِ " سُبْحَانَ ذِي الْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْمَلَكُوتِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ " . ثُمَّ سَجَدَ بِقَدْرِ قِيَامِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي سُجُودِهِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ - ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَرَأَ بِآلِ عِمْرَانَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ سُورَةً سُورَةً .
‘Awf bin Malik Al-Ashja’i Narrated from:
I stood up to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); he got up and recited Surat al-Baqarah (Surah 2). When he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah, then he bowed and paused as long as he stood (reciting Surah al-Baqarah), and said while bowing, "Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, the Kingdom, grandeur and majesty." :Then he prostrated himself and paused as long as he stood up and recited Surat Aal Imran (Surah 3) and then recited many surahs one after another.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 873In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 483English translation : Book 3, Hadith 872
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 873
This hadith describes night prayer with the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Awf ibn Malik stood with him while he recited Surah al-Baqarah. When a verse of mercy came, he stopped and made supplication. When a verse of punishment came, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah. Then he bowed for about as long as he had stood, saying words of glory to the Possessor of greatness, kingdom, grandeur, and majesty. He then prostrated for about as long as he stood, and later recited Aal Imran and other surahs. The main teaching is reflective night prayer: recitation, dua, seeking refuge, long ruku, and long sujud, all done with deep attention.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) responded to mercy verses with supplication.
- He responded to punishment verses by seeking refuge in Allah.
- His ruku and sujud in this prayer were long.
- Night prayer included long Qur’an recitation.
