And the evidence that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray thirteen rak‘ahs at night as Ibn Abbas reported, then he reduced two rak‘ahs and used to pray eleven rak‘ahs at night as Abu Salamah reported from Aisha, then he reduced two rak‘ahs from the night prayer and used to pray nine rak‘ahs at night as Abdullah ibn Shaqiq reported from Aisha.

It is narrated from Hazrat Masruq that he presented himself before Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and asked her about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). She replied that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray thirteen rak‘ahs at night, then he started praying eleven rak‘ahs and left two rak‘ahs, and when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, at that time he used to pray nine rak‘ahs at night. The last prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at night was Witr. Sometimes the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would come to his bed (and rest), then Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would come and inform the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the prayer (so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would go to lead the prayer). Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that we act according to those narrations which we have mentioned in Kitab al-Kabir regarding the number of rak‘ahs of the Tahajjud prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The difference in the number of rak‘ahs among the narrators is similar to the difference found in those narrations which I have mentioned in this book. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform more rak‘ahs on some nights than on others. Thus, whatever number of rak‘ahs or manner of the Tahajjud prayer has been reported by all the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the pure wives of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them all), or other women, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the prayer in that number and manner on some nights. And this difference is of the permissible kind. Therefore, it is permissible for the one who prays to perform the prayer in any number or manner reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prefers. There is nothing prohibited in this for anyone.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed a prayer, he would do so regularly, and when he (peace be upon him) missed the Tahajjud prayer due to sleep or became ill, he would perform twelve rak‘ahs during the day.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed any prayer, he liked to be consistent and regular in it. And whenever sleep, illness, or any difficulty prevented him (peace and blessings be upon him) from performing the Tahajjud prayer, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would offer twelve rak‘ahs during the day. This is the narration of Yahya bin Sa‘eed.

Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Qari narrates that I heard Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) say, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever sleeps through his regular recitation or a part of it, then recites that portion between the Fajr and Dhuhr prayers (by reciting it and offering it as voluntary prayer), it will be written for him as if he had recited that portion during the night."

Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:“Whoever, when going to bed, intends to get up and perform the Tahajjud prayer, but sleep overcomes him and he remains asleep until morning, then the reward for what he intended is written for him, and his sleep is a charity from his Lord upon him.”Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I do not know that anyone besides Husayn bin Ali has narrated this hadith musnad from Zaidah. There is a difference among the narrators regarding the chain of this hadith.

Hazrat Zar bin Hubaysh narrates from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Whoever intends in his heart to perform prayer at any hour of the night, then sleep overcomes him, his sleep will be a charity for him, and the reward for the prayer will be written for him according to his intention and resolve. Hazrat Abda bin Abi Lubabah mixed up the chain of this hadith. Once, when narrating, he said that he narrates this from Suwaid bin Ghaflah (see narration number 1172), and another time he attributed it to Zar bin Hubaysh (as in narration number 1173). Hazrat Abda was in doubt whether this narration is from Zar or from Suwaid.

Abdah bin Abi Lubabah narrates from Hazrat Zar bin Hubaysh or Suwaid bin Ghaflah the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Darda or Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with them) that they said: Whoever regularly prays at any part of the night, then misses it due to sleep, Allah Almighty writes the reward of that prayer for him, and his sleep will be a charity from Allah Almighty upon him.“Hazrat Abdah (may Allah have mercy on him) has explained the reason for the chain of this hadith in which he is doubtful whether he heard this hadith from Zar or from Suwaid? He has stated that both these teachers were together at one place, so one of them narrated this hadith, then he became doubtful about the narrator and the listener (as to who it was).”

Imam Sufyan (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I have remembered this statement from Abda bin Abi Lubabah, who says: I went with Zirr bin Hubaysh to visit Suwaid bin Ghaflah during his illness, and either Suwaid or Zirr narrated a hadith—I am mostly certain that Suwaid narrated it. He narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Darda or Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with them both), and I am mostly certain that it was from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said: Whoever intends to pray at night (Tahajjud), but then forgets and falls asleep, his sleep will be a charity from Allah Almighty upon him, and he will be granted the reward according to his intention.

Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says: If Zaidah has remembered the chain of narration he mentioned, and Sulaiman heard from Habib, and Habib heard from Abda, then both of them are mudallis (those who practice tadlis). It is possible that Abda narrated this hadith a long time ago through Suwaid bin Ghaflah from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) without any doubt, but later he became uncertain whether he heard this narration from Zirr bin Hubaysh or from Suwaid, and whether he narrated it from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) or from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). Because the age difference between Habib bin Abi Thabit and Imam Sufyan Thawri and Ibn Uyaynah is such that in that period a person forgets many things he has memorized. If Habib bin Abi Thabit heard this narration from Abda, then it is likely that he heard it before the birth of Ibn Uyaynah—because perhaps Habib bin Abi Thabit was older in age than his teacher Abda bin Abi Lubabah. Habib bin Abi Thabit heard from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and regarding which of these chains is preserved, Allah Almighty knows best.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not single out Friday among the rest of the days for fasting (as a voluntary fast), and do not single out the night of Friday among the other nights for performing the night prayer (Tahajjud)."