Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"When one of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of his head, striking each knot and saying: 'You have a long night, so sleep.' If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone. If he performs ablution, another knot is undone. If he prays, the last knot is undone, and he wakes up energetic and cheerful. Otherwise, he wakes up lazy and in a bad mood."
And the saying of Allah, the Almighty: "Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words." (Al-Muzzammil, 73:6)
Possible references (unverified, pending editorial review)
Candidate: Sahih al-Bukhari 1142 (unverified) 99% confidence
Candidate: Sahih Muslim 776 (unverified) 98% confidence
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Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: A man was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ), and it was said: "He slept until morning and did not wake up for prayer." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "That is a man in whose ear Satan has urinated—or he said: in both ears."
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) woke up one night in a state of alarm, saying: 'SubhanAllah! What has been sent down tonight of treasures and trials? Who will wake the women of the chambers (his wives) so they may pray? How many a woman is clothed in this world but will be naked in the Hereafter!'"
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: "O Abdullah, do not be like so-and-so. He used to pray at night but then abandoned it."
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Every night, our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, saying: 'Who is calling upon Me so that I may answer? Who is asking of Me so that I may give? Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive?'" [Agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim]
In a version by Muslim: "Then He spreads His hands and says: 'Who will lend to One who is neither poor nor unjust?' until dawn breaks."
Amr ibn Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The closest the Lord is to His servant is during the last third of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so."
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is most likely to be answered?" He said: "During the last third of the night and after the obligatory prayers."
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer." [Narrated by Ahmad]
(Note: It is said that the night prayer (Tahajjud) is superior due to its added difficulty and distance from showing off, while the regular Sunnah prayers are superior due to their emphasis on following the obligatory prayers. There is no contradiction, as mentioned in Al-Maraqat]
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Commentary and footnotes (1)
Note 1
قوله
(۱) قوله: أفضل الصلاة إلخ وقد يقال: التهجد أفضل من حيث زيادة مشقة على النفس وبعده عن الرياء، والرواتب أفضل من حيث الأكدية في المتابعة للمفروضة، فلا منافات. كذا في «المرقاة».
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: "There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim asks Allah for good in this world or the Hereafter except that He grants it, and this occurs every night."
Uthman ibn Abi Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Prophet Dawud (David) had a time during the night when he would wake his family, saying: 'O family of Dawud, rise and pray, for this is the hour when Allah answers supplications, except for a sorcerer or a tax collector.'"
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Adhere to night prayers, for it was the practice of the righteous before you, a means of drawing closer to your Lord, an expiation for sins, and a deterrent from wrongdoing."
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Allah smiles at three people: a man who rises at night to pray, a group of people who line up for prayer, and a group of people who line up to fight the enemy."
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "May Allah have mercy on a man who rises at night, prays, and wakes his wife to pray. If she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah have mercy on a woman who rises at night, prays, and wakes her husband to pray. If he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face."
Abu Sa'id and Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When a man wakes his family at night and they pray two rak'ahs together, they are recorded among the men and women who remember Allah abundantly."
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that his father, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), would pray at night as much as Allah willed. When the last part of the night came, he would wake his family for prayer, saying to them: "Pray!" Then he would recite this verse: "And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for provision; We provide for you, and the best outcome is for the righteous." (Taha, 20:132)
Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "In Paradise, there are rooms whose outside can be seen from inside and whose inside can be seen from outside. Allah has prepared them for those who speak kindly, feed others, fast regularly, and pray at night while people are asleep." [Narrated by Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman]
Tirmidhi narrated a similar hadith from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), with the wording: "For those who speak good words."
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "So-and-so prays at night, but when morning comes, he steals." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "What you say will deter him."
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"The noblest of my Ummah are the bearers of the Quran and those who pray at night."
Al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet (ﷺ) stood in prayer so long that his feet swelled. It was said to him: "Why do you do this when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?" He replied: "Should I not be a grateful servant?"
Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud (David), and the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud. He would sleep half the night, stand in prayer for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth of it. He would fast one day and break his fast the next."
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Candidate: Sahih al-Bukhari 1131 (unverified) 99% confidence
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Commentary and footnotes (1)
Note 1
یہ آسان ہے مگر ان پر عمل کر کے دیکھئے تو معلوم ہوگا کہ یہ نفس پر کس قدر شاق ہیں، اب رہی یہ بات
کہ رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم ایسی تہجد کیوں نہیں پڑھے اور ایسے روزے کیوں نہیں رکھے؟ اگر
رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم اس پر عمل کرتے تو امت کے لئے یہ سنت ہوجاتا، ہر تہجد پڑھنے والے
کو اسی طرح کرنا پڑتا، اور ہر نفل روزہ رکھنے والے کو اسی طرح روزے رکھنا پڑتا۔ آپ رحمۃٌ للعالمین
ہیں، آپ نہیں چاہتے کہ امت کو اس طرح مجبور کریں اور مشقت میں ڈالیں، اس لئے خود اس پر عمل
نہ کر کے امت کو بتا دیئے کہ تم کو جس طرح آسان ہو تہجد پڑھو اور جس طرح تمہارے لئے نفل
روزے رکھنے میں سہولت ہو اس طرح روزے رکھو! بات بات میں آپ جو سہولت رکھے ہیں اس
سے دل چاہتا ہے کہ آپ پر قربان ہوجائیں)۔
(اس کی روایت بخاری اور مسلم نے متفقہ طور پر کی ہے۔)
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would sleep during the first part of the night and stay awake during the last part. If he had a need to be with his family, he would fulfill it, then sleep. If he was in a state of major impurity at the time of the first call to prayer, he would get up and pour water over himself. If he was not in a state of major impurity, he would perform ablution for prayer and then pray two rak'ahs."
Commentary and footnotes (1)
Note 1
(۱) قوله: أفضل الصلاة إلخ وقد يقال: التهجد أفضل من حيث زيادة مشقة على النفس وبعده عن الرياء، والرواتب أفضل من حيث الأكدية في المتابعة للمفروضة، فلا منافات. كذا في «المرقاة».