Category: Q n A

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not observe either in Ramadan or in other months more than eleven rak’ahs (of the night prayer). He (in the first instance) observed four rak’ahs. Ask not about their excellence and their length (i. e. these were matchless in perfection and length). He again observed four rak’ahs, and ask not about their excellence and their length. He would then observe three rak’ahs (of the Witr prayer). ‘A’isha again said: I said: Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before observing the Witr prayer? He said: O ‘A’isha, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.

He observed thirteen rak’ahs (in the night prayer). He observed eight rak’ahs and would then observe Witr and then observe two rak’ahs sitting, and when he wanted to bow he stood up and then bowed down, and then observed two rak’ahs in between the Adhan and lqama of the dawn prayer.

Abu Salama reported that he asked ‘A’isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) (during the night). The rest of the hadith is the same but with this exception that he (the Holy Prophet) observed nine rak’ahs including Witr.

O mother, inform me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: His (night prayer) in Ramadan and (during other months) was thirteen rak’ahs at night including two rak’ahs of fajr.

It is reported on the authority of ‘A’isha that the prayer of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in the night consisted of ten rak’ahs. He observed a Witr and two rak’ahs (of Sunan) of the dawn prayer, and thus the total comes to thirteen rak’ahs.

” Say: O unbelievers,” (Qur’an, cix.) and” Say: Allah is one” (cxii.).

I said to ‘A’isha and she made a mention of that (recorded above) about the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

‘A’isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said that between the time when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished the ‘Isha’ prayer which is called ‘Atama by the people, he used to pray eleven rak’ahs, uttering the salutation at the end of every two rak’ahs, and observing the Witr with a single one. And when the Mu’adhdhin had finished the call (for the) dawn prayer and he saw the dawn clearly and the Mu’adhdhin had come to him, he stood up and prayed two short rak’ahs. Then he lay down on his right side till the Mu’adhdhin came to him for lqama. (This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by Ibn Shihab, but in it no mention has been made of Iqama )

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe thirteen rak’ahs of the night prayer. Five out of them consisted of Witr, and he did not sit, but at the end (for salutation).

‘A’isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak’ahs during the night including the two rak’ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer.