6/16. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 732c — Later-Life Nafl Prayer
It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers standing or sitting, and to stand and sit in the same rak`ah
Later-Life Nafl Prayer Hadith: Much of His Prayer Was Sitting
Sahih Muslim : 732c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 732c
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، وَهَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، أَنَّ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى كَانَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ .
A'isha Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died (in this very state) that he observed most of his (Nafl) prayers in a sitting position.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 732cIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 140USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1595
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 732c
This later-life Nafl prayer hadith gives a clear statement from ‘A’isha. She reported that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not die until much of his voluntary prayer was performed while sitting. The text is short, but it is meaningful. It shows that sitting prayer was part of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم practice in his later life, especially in Nafl prayer. The narration does not give a full prayer method here, and it does not mention a reward or a list of rak‘ahs. So the explanation should stay focused on the wording: much of his Nafl prayer was sitting before his death. Searchers may look for Prophet prayed sitting, Nafl prayer sitting hadith, or Sahih Muslim 732c.
What we learn from this hadith
- ‘A’isha reported that much of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Nafl prayer was sitting near the end of his life.
- The report is about voluntary prayer, not a list of obligatory prayers.
- The narration preserves a simple detail from the Prophet’s later practice.
