Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer (Detailed Injunctions about Ramadan)

Narrated 'Aishah:

When the last ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet ﷺ kept vigil and prayed during the whole night, and tied the wrapper tightly, and awakened his family (to pray during the night).

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Ya'fur is 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Ubaid b. Nistas.

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، وَدَاوُدُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّ سُفْيَانَ، أَخْبَرَهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ، - وَقَالَ دَاوُدُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ نِسْطَاسٍ، - عَنْ أَبِي الضُّحَى، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ أَحْيَا اللَّيْلَ وَشَدَّ الْمِئْزَرَ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَأَبُو يَعْفُورٍ اسْمُهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ نِسْطَاسٍ .

Narrated Abu Hurairah:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and saw that the people were praying during (the night of) Ramadan in the corner of the mosque. He asked: Who are these people ? It was said to him that those were people who had not learnt Quran. But Ubayy b. Ka'b is praying and they would pray behind him. The Prophet ﷺ said: They did right and it is good what they did.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not strong, the narrator Muslim b. Khalid is weak.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُسْلِمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِذَا أُنَاسٌ فِي رَمَضَانَ يُصَلُّونَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ " مَا هَؤُلاَءِ " . فَقِيلَ هَؤُلاَءِ نَاسٌ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ قُرْآنٌ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يُصَلِّي وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَتِهِ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " أَصَابُوا وَنِعْمَ مَا صَنَعُوا " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لَيْسَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ بِالْقَوِيِّ مُسْلِمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ضَعِيفٌ .

Zirr (b. Hubaish) said:

I said to Ubayy b. Ka'b: Tell me about lailat al-qadr, O Abu al-Mundhir, for our companion (Ibn Mas'ud) was questioned about it, and he said: Anyone who gets up for prayer every night all the year round will hit upon it (i.e. lailat al-qadr). He replied: May Allah have mercy on Abu 'Abd al-Rahman. By Allah, he knew that it was in Ramadan, (Musaddad's version goes) but he disliked that the people should content themselves (with that night alone); or he liked that the people should not content themselves (with the night alone). According to the agreed version: By Allah, it is the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, without any reservation. I said: How did you know that, Abu al-Mundhir? He replied: By the indication (or sign) of which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us. I asked Zirr: What is the sign ? He replied: The sun rises like a vessel of water in the morning following that night; it has no rays until it rises high up.

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرٍّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، يَا أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ فَإِنَّ صَاحِبَنَا سُئِلَ عَنْهَا . فَقَالَ مَنْ يَقُمِ الْحَوْلَ يُصِبْهَا . فَقَالَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهَا فِي رَمَضَانَ - زَادَ مُسَدَّدٌ وَلَكِنْ كَرِهَ أَنْ يَتَّكِلُوا أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ لاَ يَتَّكِلُوا ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا - وَاللَّهِ إِنَّهَا لَفِي رَمَضَانَ لَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ لاَ يَسْتَثْنِي . قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ أَنَّى عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ بِالآيَةِ الَّتِي أَخْبَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ . قُلْتُ لِزِرٍّ مَا الآيَةُ قَالَ تُصْبِحُ الشَّمْسُ صَبِيحَةَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ مِثْلَ الطَّسْتِ لَيْسَ لَهَا شُعَاعٌ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Unays:

I was present at the gathering of Banu Salamah, and I was the youngest of them.

They (the people) said: Who will ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for us about Laylat al-Qadr? That was the twenty-first of Ramadan. I went out and said the sunset prayer along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I then stood at the door of his house.

He passed by me and said: Come in. I entered (the house) and dinner was brought for him. I was prevented from taking food as it was scanty.

When he finished his dinner, he said to me: Give me my shoes. He then stood up and I also stood up with him. He said: Perhaps you have some business with me.

I said: Yes. Some people of Banu Salamah have sent me to you to ask you about Laylat al-Qadr. He asked: Which night: Is it tonight?

I said: Twenty-second. He said: This is the very night. He then withdrew and said: Or the following night, referring to the twenty-third night.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السُّلَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ ضَمْرَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُنَيْسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كُنْتُ فِي مَجْلِسِ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ وَأَنَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ، فَقَالُوا مَنْ يَسْأَلُ لَنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَذَلِكَ صَبِيحَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ . فَخَرَجْتُ فَوَافَيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ بِبَابِ بَيْتِهِ فَمَرَّ بِي فَقَالَ " ادْخُلْ " . فَدَخَلْتُ فَأُتِيَ بِعَشَائِهِ فَرَآنِي أَكُفُّ عَنْهُ مِنْ قِلَّتِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ " نَاوِلْنِي نَعْلِي " . فَقَامَ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ " كَأَنَّ لَكَ حَاجَةً " . قُلْتُ أَجَلْ أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكَ رَهْطٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَقَالَ " كَمِ اللَّيْلَةُ " . فَقُلْتُ اثْنَتَانِ وَعِشْرُونَ قَالَ " هِيَ اللَّيْلَةُ " . ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ " أَوِ الْقَابِلَةُ " . يُرِيدُ لَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Unays al-Juhani:

I said to the Messenger of Allah: I have a place in the desert where I live and in which I pray, with the praise of Allah; but give me command about a night when I come to this mosque.

He replied: Come on the twenty third night.

I (a sub-narrator, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim) said to his (Abdullah ibn Unays's) son: How would your father act?

He replied: He used to enter the mosque when he had offered the afternoon prayer, and did not leave it for any purpose till he prayed the morning prayer. Then when he had prayed the morning prayer, he found his riding beast at the door of the mosque, mounted it and got back to his desert.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُنَيْسٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي بَادِيَةً أَكُونُ فِيهَا وَأَنَا أُصَلِّي فِيهَا بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ فَمُرْنِي بِلَيْلَةٍ أَنْزِلُهَا إِلَى هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ . فَقَالَ
" انْزِلْ لَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ " . فَقُلْتُ لاِبْنِهِ كَيْفَ كَانَ أَبُوكَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ كَانَ يَدْخُلُ الْمَسْجِدَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ فَلاَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ لِحَاجَةٍ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ الصُّبْحَ فَإِذَا صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ وَجَدَ دَابَّتَهُ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهَا فَلَحِقَ بِبَادِيَتِهِ .

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet ﷺ as saying: Seek laitat al-Qadr in the last ten night of Ramadan. When nine (nights) remain (i.e. on the twenty first) , when seven (night) remain (i.e. on the twenty third), and when five (nights) remain (i.e. on the twenty fifth).

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ
" الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فِي تَاسِعَةٍ تَبْقَى وَفِي سَابِعَةٍ تَبْقَى وَفِي خَامِسَةٍ تَبْقَى " .

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to spend the middle ten days of Ramadan in retirement and devotion (i'tikaf) in the mosque. One year he had retirement and devotion in the mosque (as usual); when the twenty-first night came, and this night when he used to come out his devotion in the mosque, he said: He who has engaged himself in devotion along with me should do so during the last ten days; I saw that night, that was caused to forget it, but I have seen myself prostrating in water and mud on the morning following (that night), so seek it in the last ten days and seek it every night with an odd number. Abu sa'id said: Rain fell that night, the mosque that was thatched building dripped, and my eyes saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the traces of water and mud, on his forehead on the morning following the twenty-first night.

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْهَادِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوْسَطَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَاعْتَكَفَ عَامًا حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ لَيْلَةُ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ وَهِيَ اللَّيْلَةُ الَّتِي يَخْرُجُ فِيهَا مِنَ اعْتِكَافِهِ قَالَ
" مَنْ كَانَ اعْتَكَفَ مَعِي فَلْيَعْتَكِفِ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ ثُمَّ أُنْسِيتُهَا وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي أَسْجُدُ مِنْ صَبِيحَتِهَا فِي مَاءٍ وَطِينٍ فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ وَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي كُلِّ وِتْرٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَمُطِرَتِ السَّمَاءُ مِنْ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ وَكَانَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَلَى عَرِيشٍ فَوَكَفَ الْمَسْجِدُ . فَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَأَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَاىَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ وَأَنْفِهِ أَثَرُ الْمَاءِ وَالطِّينِ مِنْ صَبِيحَةِ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ .

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

The Prophet ﷺ said: Seek it (laylat al-Qadr) in the last ten days of Ramadan. Seek it on the ninth, seventh and fifth night. I (AbuNadrah) said: You know counting better than us, AbuSa'id. He said: Yes. I asked: What do you mean by the ninth, seventh and fifth night? He said: When the twenty-first night passes, the night which follows it is the night; when the twenty-third night passes, the night which follows it is the seventh; when the twenty-fifth passes, the night which follows it is the fifth.

Abu Dawud said: I do not know whether anything remained hidden from me or not.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدٌ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
" الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا . قَالَ أَجَلْ . قُلْتُ مَا التَّاسِعَةُ وَالسَّابِعَةُ وَالْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ إِذَا مَضَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا التَّاسِعَةُ وَإِذَا مَضَى ثَلاَثٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ وَإِذَا مَضَى خَمْسٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لاَ أَدْرِي أَخَفِيَ عَلَىَّ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ أَمْ لاَ .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us: Seek it (laylat al-Qadr) on the seventeenth night of Ramadan, and on the twenty first night, and on the twenty-third night. He then kept silence.

حَدَّثَنَا حَكِيمُ بْنُ سَيْفٍ الرَّقِّيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَمْرٍو - عَنْ زَيْدٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ - عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
" اطْلُبُوهَا لَيْلَةَ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَلَيْلَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ وَلَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ " . ثُمَّ سَكَتَ .

Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: Seek lailat al-qads in the last seven days.

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ
" تَحَرَّوْا لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فِي السَّبْعِ الأَوَاخِرِ " .