16
[—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—](1):
“The best night prayer is the prayer of David: he would sleep for half the night, stand in prayer for one third of it, and sleep for one sixth of it.” (2)
It is also established that he “would rise when he heard the rooster crow.” (3)
It is also established that “he learned that some men were saying, one of them, ‘As for me, I fast continually and never break my fast.’ Another would say, ‘As for me, I stand in prayer and never sleep.’ Another would say, ‘As for me, I do not eat meat.’ Another would say, ‘As for me, I do not marry women.’ The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘But I fast
(1) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is an addition in (A) and (B).
(2) The hadith of Abd Allāh ibn Amr ibn al-Ās—may Allah be pleased with them both—is found in al-Bukhārī, 4/161 (Book of the Prophets, chapter “The Prayer Most Beloved to Allah Is the Prayer of David…”). Its wording is: “The fasting most beloved to Allah is the fast of David: he would fast one day and break his fast the next. The prayer most beloved to Allah is the prayer of David: he would sleep for half the night, stand in prayer for one third of it, and sleep for one sixth of it.” The hadith is also found in al-Bukhārī, vol. 2 (Book of Tahajjud, chapter “One Who Sleeps near Dawn”); Muslim, 2/816 (Book of Fasting, chapter “The Prohibition of Perpetual Fasting…”), hadiths nos. 189–190; Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 4/168 (Book of Fasting, chapter “The Fast of Allah’s Prophet David—peace be upon him”); Sunan Ibn Mājah, 1/546 (Book of Fasting, chapter “Reports Concerning the Fast of David—peace be upon him”); and Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 2/440 (Book of Fasting, chapter “Fasting One Day and Not Fasting the Next”).
(3) The hadith of Āisha—may Allah be pleased with her—is found in al-Bukhārī, 2/50 (Book of Tahajjud, chapter “One Who Sleeps near Dawn”). Its wording is: “I heard Masrūq say: I asked Āisha—may Allah be pleased with her—‘Which deed was most beloved to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ She replied, ‘The one performed consistently.’ I asked, ‘When would he rise?’ She replied, ‘He would rise when he heard the sārikh (caller).’” Explaining the word sārikh in *al-Nihāya fī Gharīb al-Hadīth wa-al-Athar*, Ibn al-Athīr states: “It means the rooster, because it crows frequently at night.” The hadith is also narrated from her in al-Bukhārī, 8/98 (Book of Heart-Softening Reports, chapter “Moderation and Perseverance in Deeds”); Muslim, 1/511 (Book of the Prayer of Travelers, chapter “The Night Prayer…”); Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 3/169 (Book of the Night Prayer, chapter “The Time for the Night Prayer”); and *al-Musnad* (Aleppo ed.), 6/110, 147, 203, 279.
[- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -]
(١)
:
"
«أَفْضَلُ الْقِيَامِ قِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ، وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ، وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ»
"
(٢)
.
وَثَبَتَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ
«كَانَ يَقُومُ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ»
(٣)
.
وَثَبَتَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ «بَلَغَهُ أَنَّ رِجَالًا يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمْ:
" أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَصُومُ وَلَا أُفْطِرُ.
وَيَقُولُ الْآخَرُ:
وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَأَقُومُ وَلَا أَنَامُ.
وَيَقُولُ الْآخَرُ:
أَمَّا أَنَا فَلَا آكُلُ اللَّحْمَ،
وَيَقُولُ الْآخَرُ:
أَمَّا أَنَا فَلَا أَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: "
لَكِنِّي أَصُومُ
(١) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) .
(٢) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٤/١٦١ (كِتَابُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: بَابُ: أَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ. .) وَنَصُّهُ: " أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا، وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ، وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ ") . وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٢
(كِتَابُ التَّهَجُّدِ، بَابُ مَنْ نَامَ عِنْدَ السَّحَرِ) ، مُسْلِمٍ ٢/٨١٦ (كِتَابُ الصِّيَامِ، بَابُ النَّهْيِ عَنْ صَوْمِ الدَّهْرِ. .) الْحَدِيثَانِ رَقْمُ ١٨٩، ١٩٠، سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٤/١٦٨ (كِتَابُ الصِّيَامِ، بَابُ صِيَامِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -) ، سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٥٤٦ (كِتَابُ الصِّيَامِ، بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي صِيَامِ دَاوُدَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -) ، سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٢/٤٤٠ (كِتَابُ الصَّوْمِ، بَابٌ فِي صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ، وَفِطْرِ يَوْمٍ) .
(٣) الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٢/٥٠ (كِتَابُ التَّهَجُّدِ، بَابُ مَنْ نَامَ عِنْدَ السَّحَرِ) وَنَصُّهُ:. . سَمِعْتُ مَسْرُوقًا قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا -: أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ قَالَتْ: الدَّائِمُ. قُلْتُ: مَتَى كَانَ يَقُومُ. قَالَتْ: يَقُومُ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ. قَالَ ابْنُ الْأَثِيرِ فِي " النِّهَايَةِ فِي غَرِيبِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالْأَثَرِ " فِي شَرْحِ مَعْنَى كَلِمَةِ " الصَّارِخِ ": " يَعْنِي الدِّيكَ، لِأَنَّهُ كَثِيرُ الصِّيَاحِ فِي اللَّيْلِ ". وَالْحَدِيثُ عَنْهَا أَيْضًا فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٨/٩٨ (كِتَابُ الرِّقَاقِ، بَابُ الْقَصْدِ وَالْمُدَاوَمَةِ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ) ، مُسْلِمٍ ١/٥١١ (كِتَابُ صَلَاةِ الْمُسَافِرِينَ، بَابُ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ. . .) ، سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٣/١٦٩ (كِتَابُ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ، بَابُ وَقْتِ الْقِيَامِ) ، الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٦/١١٠، ١٤٧، ٢٠٣، ٢٧٩.