Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (2/69)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

against his own soul, compelling it to worship Allah and remaining steadfast in doing so.

The compiler—may Allah have mercy on him—relates from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) would stand for prayer during the night until his feet became swollen and cracked. I said, “Messenger of Allah, why do you do this when Allah has forgiven you your earlier and later sins?” He replied, “Should I not love to be a grateful servant?”

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was among those who best knew the Prophet’s private conduct—that which he did inside his home. His wives, may Allah be pleased with them all, were likewise the most knowledgeable of his domestic practice.

Because of this, the senior Companions would visit the Prophet’s wives to ask them about what he did in his house. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) used to rise in the night for voluntary prayer, performing tahajjud. Allah the Exalted says in Sūrat al-Muzzammil: “Your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] for nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it, together with a group of those who are with you” (al-Muzzammil 73:20).

Accordingly, at times he would stand for most of the night, at times for half of it, and at times for a third of it. He granted his body its due rest while still giving his Lord complete worship—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Thus he would stand for a little less than two-thirds of the night—meaning more than half but less than two-thirds—or for half, or for a third, according to his vigor. He kept standing until his feet swelled and cracked from the length of his standing; the blood would congeal and the skin split.

Some of the younger Companions prayed with him, but they became exhausted. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) one night, and he stood for so long that I considered doing something improper.” They asked him, “What did you consider, Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān?”

نفسه وحمل إياها على عبادة الله، والصبر على ذلك. ذكر المؤلف ﵀ عن عائشة ﵂ أن النبي ﷺ كان يقوم من الليل حتى تتفطر قدماه، فقلت: يا رسول الله لم تصنع ذلك وقد غفر الله لك ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر؟ فقال: (أفلا أحب أن أكون عبداً شكوراً) ، فعائشة ﵂ من أعلم الناس بحال النبي ﷺ فيما يصنعه في السر؛ أي في بيته، وكذلك نساؤه ﵅ هن أعلم الناس بما يصنعه في بيته. ولهذا كان كبار الصحابة يأتون إلى نساء النبي ﷺ يسألونهن عما كان يصنع في بيته، فكان ﷺ يقوم من الليل يعني في الصلاة تهجداً. وقد قال الله تعالى في سورة المزمل: (إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ) (المزمل: ٢٠) . فكان يقوم ﵊ أحياناً أكثر الليل، وأحياناً نصف الليل، وأحياناً ثلث الليل؛ لأنه ﵊ يعطي نفسه حقها من الراحة مع القيام التام بعبادة ربه ـ صلوات الله وسلامه عليه ـ، فكان يقوم أدنى من ثلثي الليل ـ يعني فوق النصف، ودون الثلثين -ونصفه وثلثه؛ حسب نشاطه ﵊؛ وكان يقوم حتى تتورم قدماه وتتفطر من طول القيام؛ أي يتحجر الدم فيها وتنشق. وقد قام معه شباب من الصحابة ﵃ ولكنهم تعبوا فابن مسعود ﵁ يقول: صليت مع النبي ﷺ ذات ليلة، فقام طويلاً حتى هممت بأمر سوء، قالوا: بما هممت يا أبا عبد الرحمن؟