Third:

• 4 (Sound)

Aishah reported: In the mosque of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the people used to perform the Ramadan night prayer in scattered groups (1). A man who knew something of the Quran would lead five or six others—or fewer, or more—and they would pray following his recitation. On one of those nights the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me to set up (2) a reed mat for him at the door of my room, so I did. After he had offered the last ‘Isha prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out. Those who were in the mosque gathered around him, and he led them in a long night prayer. When he finished, he went back inside and left the mat where it was.

At daybreak the people spoke of the Prophet’s prayer with those who had been in the mosque that night, so an even larger number gathered, and by evening the mosque was thronging with worshippers (3). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out on the second night and they prayed behind him. The next morning the talk spread, and on the third night the mosque was so crowded it could scarcely hold the people; he came out and they prayed following his lead. On the fourth night the mosque could no longer contain them.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the last ‘Isha prayer and then went into his house while the people remained. He said to me, “What is the matter with the people, O Aishah?” I replied, “Messenger of Allah, the people heard of your prayer last night with those who were in the mosque, so they gathered hoping you would pray with them.” He said, “Fold up our mat, O Aishah.” I did so, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed awake and alert, while the people kept their places. Some of the men began to call, “The prayer!” and they remained so until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out at dawn. When he had finished the Fajr prayer, he turned to the people, uttered the testimony (4) and said:

“To proceed: O people, by Allah, I did not spend this night of mine heedless—praise be to Allah—nor was your presence hidden from me. I only feared that it might be made obligatory upon you (in another narration: I feared that the night prayer would be prescribed for you and you would be unable to keep up with it). Therefore, undertake of deeds only what you can bear, for Allah does not weary until you weary.”

Al-Zuhri added in another version: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away while the people were still upon this practice, and it remained so during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and for part of the caliphate of ‘Umar (5).