Sahih Muslim Book - 6, Hadith - 1739

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى الْعَنَزِىُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِى عَدِىٍّ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ أَنَّ سَعْدَ بْنَ هِشَامِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَغْزُوَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَبِيعَ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِى السِّلاَحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ وَيُجَاهِدَ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ لَقِىَ أُنَاسًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَنَهَوْهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا ذَلِكَ فِى حَيَاةِ نَبِىِّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَنَهَاهُمْ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَقَالَ « أَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ فِىَّ أُسْوَةٌ ». فَلَمَّا حَدَّثُوهُ بِذَلِكَ رَاجَعَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَقَدْ كَانَ طَلَّقَهَا وَأَشْهَدَ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا فَأَتَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ مَنْ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ. فَأْتِهَا فَاسْأَلْهَا ثُمَّ ائْتِنِى فَأَخْبِرْنِى بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا لأَنِّى نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِى هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهِمَا إِلاَّ مُضِيًّا. - قَالَ - فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا عَلَيْهَا فَأَذِنَتْ لَنَا فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا. فَقَالَتْ أَحَكِيمٌ فَعَرَفَتْهُ. فَقَالَ نَعَمْ. فَقَالَتْ مَنْ مَعَكَ قَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ. قَالَتْ مَنْ هِشَامٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ خَيْرًا - قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَكَانَ أُصِيبَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ. فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِى عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-. قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قُلْتُ بَلَى. قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِىِّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ. - قَالَ - فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ وَلاَ أَسْأَلَ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ ثُمَّ بَدَا لِى فَقُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِى عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-. فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ (يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ) قُلْتُ بَلَى. قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِى أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلاً وَأَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِى آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ التَّخْفِيفَ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ. - قَالَ - قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِى عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-. فَقَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّى تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا إِلاَّ فِى الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّى التَّاسِعَةَ ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَنَعَ فِى الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ مِثْلَ صَنِيعِهِ الأَوَّلِ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَىَّ وَكَانَ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ نَبِىَّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍ وَلاَ صَلَّى لَيْلَةً إِلَى الصُّبْحِ وَلاَ صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ. - قَالَ - فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسِ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَقْرَبُهَا أَوْ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِى بِهِ. - قَالَ - قُلْتُ لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ لاَ تَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثَهَا.

It was narrated from Zurarah that Sa'd bin Hisham bin 'Amir wanted to go out on a campaign in the cause of Allah, so he came to Al-Madinah, and he wanted to sell some property he had there and use the money to buy weapons and horses, and fight in Jihad against the Romans until he died. When he came to Al-Madinah, he met some of the people of Al-Madinah who told him not to do that, and they told him that six people had wanted to do that during the lifetime of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w), and the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) told him not to do that, and he said: "Do you not have an example in me?" When they told him that, he took back his wife whom he had divorced, and brought witnesses to attest that he had taken her back. Then he went to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w). Ibn 'Abbas said: "Shall I not tell you who is the most knowledgeable of people on earth about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)?' He said: 'Who?' He said: "Aishah; go to her and ask her, then come and tell me what answer she gives to you." (He narrated) So I went to her. I went to Hakim bin Aflah and asked him to go with me to her. He said: "I do not want to approach her, because I told her not to say anything about these two parties, but she insisted on that." I adjured him to come, so he came, and we went to 'Aishah. We asked permission to enter and she gave us permission and we entered upon her. She said: "Is it Hakim?" And she recognized him. He said: "Yes." She said: "Who is with you?" He said: "Sa'd bin Hisham." She said: "Who is Hisham?" He said: "Ibn 'Amir." She prayed for mercy for him and said good things." - Qatadah (one of the narrators) said: "He was martyred on the day of Uhud." - I said: "O Mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w)." She said: "Do you not read the Qur'an?" I said: "Of course." She said: "The character of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) was the Qur'an." I wanted to get up and not ask anyone about anything else until I died. Then I decided to ask: "Tell me about the Qiyam (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)." She said: "Do you not read: 'O you wrapped in garments!'?" I said: "Of course." She said: "Allah enjoined Qiyam Al-Lail (the Night Prayers) at the beginning of this Surah, and the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) and his Companions prayed Qiyam for a year. And Allah withheld the latter part of this Surah for twelve months in heavens, until Allah revealed, at the end of this Surah, the reduction of the burden. so Qiyam Al-Lail became voluntary after it had been obligatory." I said: "O Mother of the believers, tell me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)." She said: "We used to prepare his Siwak and water for purification for him, and Allah would cause him to wake whenever He willed during the night. Then he would use the Siwak and perform Wudu' and pray nine Rak'ah, during which he did not sit except in the eighth Rak'ah; he would remember Allah, praise Him and call upon Him. Then he would get up without saying the Taslim, and he would stand and pray the ninth Rak'ah, then he would sit and remember Allah, praise Him and call upon Him. Then he would say a Taslfm that we could hear. Then he prayed two Rak'ah after saying the Taslim, while sitting, and that made eleven Rak'ah. O my son, when the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) grew old and gained weight, he prayed Witr with seven, and he did in the last two Rak'ah as he did in the first, and that made nine. O my son, when the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) offered a prayer, he liked to persist in offering it. If sleep or pain overtook him and kept him from praying Qiyam at night, he would pray twelve Rak'ah during the day. I do not know that the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) recited the entire Qur'an in one night, or spent an entire night in prayer, or fasted an entire month except Ramadan." I went to Ibn 'Abbas and told him what she had said. He said. "She has spoken the truth. If I were to approach her or enter upon her, I would go to her so that I could hear it from her own lips." I said: "If I had known that you do not enter upon her, I would not have told you what she said."