No. 1662

Abu Huraira reported Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: He who observed prayer at night during Ramadan, because of faith and seeking his reward from Allaah, his previous sins would be forgiven.

No. 1663

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allaah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate.

No. 1664

Abu Huraira reported Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: He who observed the fasts of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward (from Allaah), all his previous sins would be forgiven, and he who observed prayer on Lailat-ul- Qadr with faith and seeking reward (from Allaah), all his previous sins would be forgiven.

No. 1665

Abu Huraira reported Allaah's Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: He who prayed on the Lailat-ul-Qadr (the Majestic Night) knowing that it is (the same night). I (believe) that he (the Prophet also) said: (He who does) it with faith and seeking reward (from Allaah), his sins would be forgiven.

No. 1666

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) prayed one night in the mosque and people also prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night and there were many persons. Then on the third or fourth night (many people) gathered there, but the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not come out to them (for leading the Tarawih prayer). When it was morning he said: I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan.

No. 1667

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) came out during the night and observed prayer in the mosque and some of the people prayed along with him. When it was morning the people talked about this and so a large number of people gathered there. The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) went out for the second night, and they (the people) prayed along with him. When it was morning the people began to talk about it. So the mosque thronged with people on the third night. He (the Prophet) came out and they prayed along with him. When it was the fourth night, the mosque was filled to its utmost capacity but the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not come out. Some persons among then cried:" Prayer." But the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not come to them till he came out for the morning prayer. When he had completed the morning prayer, he turned his face to the people and recited Tashahhud (I bear testi- mony that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allaah and I bear testimony that Muhammad is His Messen- ger) and then said: Your affair was not hidden from me in the night, but I was afraid that (my observing prayer continuously) might make the night prayer obligatory for you and you might be unable to perform it.

No. 1668

Zirr (b. Hubaish) reported: I heard from Ubayy b. Ka'b a statement made by 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud in which he said: He who gets up for prayer (every night) during the year will hit upon Lailat-ul-Qadr. Ubayy said: By Allaah I there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but He, that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in Ramadhan (He swore without reservation: ) By Allaah, I know the night; it is the night on which the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to pray. It is that which precedes the morning of twenty-seventy and its indication is that the sun rises bright on that day without rays.

No. 1669

Ubayy b Ka'b reported: By Allaah, I know about Lailat-ul Qadr and I know it fully well that it is the twenty-seventh night (during Ramadan) on which the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to observe prayer. (Shu'ba was in doubt about these words:" the night on which the Messenger of Allaah [sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam] commanded us to observe the prayer." This has been transmitted to me by a friend of mine.)

No. 1670

Shu'ba reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention that Shu'ba was in doubt and what follows subsequently.