Imam Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Qadi informed us; Abu Nu'aym Abd al-Malik ibn al-Hasan al-Isfarayini informed us; Abu Awanah Ya'qub ibn Ishaq, the hadith master, informed us; al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Affan narrated to us; Yahya ibn Bashir narrated to us; Sa'id—meaning Ibn Abi Arubah—narrated to us; Qatadah narrated to us from Zurārah ibn Abi Awfa, from Sa'id ibn Hisham, who said:

I went to Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and said, “O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” She replied, “Do you not (1) read the Quran?” I said, “Indeed I do.” She said, “The character of the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was the Quran.”

I said, “What of the night prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, O Mother of the Believers?” She replied, “Do you not read: ‘O you who wraps himself in his garment’?” I said, “Indeed I do.” She said, “Allah made standing in prayer obligatory in the opening of this surah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions stood in prayer for a year, until their feet swelled. Allah withheld its concluding verse in heaven for twelve months, then sent down the concession at the end of this surah. Thus, the night prayer became voluntary after having been obligatory. (2)”

Muqatil and Ibn Kaysan said: This took place in Makkah before the five daily prayers were made obligatory; then it was abrogated by the five daily prayers.

Concerning, “And recite the Quran with measured recitation,” ⦗177/a⦘ Ibn Abbas said: “Recite it clearly and distinctly.” Al-Hasan said: “Read it with a clear recitation.” Mujahid said: “Recite it slowly and deliberately.” Qatadah said: “Be deliberate in it.” It is also related from Ibn Abbas: “Recite it at your ease, three, four, or five verses at a time.”

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Amr ibn Asim narrated to us; Hammam narrated to us from Qatadah, who said: Anas was asked, “How was the recitation of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him?” He replied, “It was drawn out, with each sound prolonged.” He then recited, “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,” prolonging “In the name of Allah,” “the Most Compassionate,” and “the Most Merciful.” (3)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il narrated to us; Adam narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us; Amr ibn Murrah narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu Wa'il say: A man came to Ibn Mas'ud and said, “I recited the Mufassal section tonight in a single rak'ah.” He said, “Did you recite it as hastily as poetry is recited? I know the corresponding surahs which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to join together.” He then mentioned twenty surahs from the Mufassal section, two surahs [from the Ha Mim group]