It has already been mentioned earlier in this section (1). Yet the statement is not absolute, as is shown by the hadith that follows and by the previously cited report of Hudhayfah, which on its face indicates that he stood in prayer for the whole night. A further proof is Aishah’s own narration in which she said: “I used to stand in prayer with the Messenger of Allah on laylat al-tamam (the complete night)…,” and—as we showed there—its chain is sound. Another of her reports supports this; see Riyad al-Salihin, p. 436. (1) I add: On the strength of this and similar traditions, it is disliked to keep the entire night in worship as a constant or predominant practice, for that conflicts with his sunnah. Had spending the whole night been superior, he would not have neglected it; the best guidance is that of Muhammad. Do not be taken in by the tale that Abu Hanifah spent forty years praying salat al-fajr (dawn prayer) with the wudu (ablution) of salat al-isha (nightfall prayer); the report is baseless. Al-Fayruzabadi says in al-Radd ‘ala al-Mu‘tarid (44/1): “This is one of the blatant fabrications that should never be attributed to the Imam; there is no virtue in it worth mentioning. A scholar of such stature should practice what is better, and there is no doubt that renewing ablution for every prayer is superior, more complete, and more perfect. Even supposing he had remained awake every night for forty consecutive years, the claim borders on the impossible. It is one of the myths spread by certain ignorant zealots about Abu Hanifah and others, and all of it is false.”