English translation
1602. It was narrated from Sa'd bin Hishâm that he met Ibn 'Abbâs and asked him about Witr. He said: "Shall I not lead you to one who knows best among the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ?" He said: "Yes." (Ibn 'Abbâs) said: "It is 'Aishah. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come back to me and tell me the answer that she gives you." So I went to Hakîm bin Aflah and asked him to go accompany me to her. He said: "I shall not go to her, for I told her not to say anything about these two (conflicting) groups, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went on (to participate in the conflict)." I swore an oath, beseeching him (to take me to her). So he came with me and went unto her. She said to Hakîm: "Who is this with you?" He said: "He is Sa'd bin Hishâm." She said: "Which Hishâm?" He said: "Ibn 'Âmir." She supplicated for mercy for him and said: "What a good man 'Âmir was." He said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allâh." She said: "Don't you read the Qur'an?" I said: "Yes." She said: "The character of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ was the Qur'an." He said: "I wanted to get up (and leave), then I thought of the Qiyâm (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ and
said: "Tell me about the Qiyâm of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ." She said: "Do you not recite this Sûrah: "O you wrapped in garments?"[1] I said: "Yes." She said: "Allâh, the Mighty and Sublime, made Qiyâm Al-Lail obligatory at the beginning of this Sûrah, so the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ and his Companions prayed Qiyâm Al-Lail for one year. Allâh withheld the latter part of this Sûrah for twelve months, then He revealed the lessening (of this duty) at the end of this Sûrah, so Qiyâm Al-Lail became voluntary after it had been obligatory." I felt inclined to stand up (and not ask anything further), then I thought of the Witr of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ. I said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ." She said: "We used to prepare his Siwâk and water for his ablution, and Allâh would wake him when He wished during the night. He would use the Siwâk, perform ablution, and then pray eight Rak'ahs in which he would not sit until he reached the eighth one. Then he would sit and remember Allâh and supplicate, then he would say a Taslîm that we could hear. Then he would pray two Rak'ahs sitting after uttering the Taslîm, then he would pray one Rak'ah, and that made eleven Rak'ahs, O my son! When the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ grew older and put on weight, he prayed Witr with seven Rak'ahs, then he prayed
two Rak'ahs sitting down after saying the Taslīm, and that made nine Rak'ahs. O my son, when the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ offered a prayer, he liked to continue to offer it, and when sleep, sickness, or pain distracted him from praying Qiyâm Al-Lail, he would pray twelve Rak'ahs during the day. I am not aware of the Prophet of Allāh ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'ān during a single night, or praying through the whole night until morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramaḍān." I went to Ibn 'Abbās and told him what she had said, and he said: "She has spoken the truth. If I could go to her (and meet her face to face) I would so that she could tell me all of that verbally." (Ṣaḥīḥ)
Abū 'Abdur-Raḥmān (An-Nasā'ī) said: This is what occurs in my book, and I do not know who is mistaken in the description of his Witr, peace be upon him.[1]
Arabic text
1601 - أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، أَنَّهُ لَقِيَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْوَتْرِ، فَقَالَ: أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكَ بِأَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوَتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: عَائِشَةُ، ائْتِهَا فَسَلْهَا، ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَيَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ، فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ، فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا، فَقَالَ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا إِنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا، فَأَبَتْ فِيهَا إِلَّا مُضِيًّا، فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ مَعِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا، فَقَالَتْ لِحَكِيمٍ: مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ؟ قُلْتُ: سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، قَالَتْ: مَنْ هِشَامٌ؟ قُلْتُ: ابْنُ عَامِرٍ، فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَتْ: نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرًا، قَالَ: يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَتْ: أَلَيْسَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: بَلَى، قَالَتْ: «فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنُ» فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي قِيَامُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَتْ: «أَلَيْسَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ؟ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ» قُلْتُ: بَلَى، قَالَتْ: «فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ، فَقَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ، وَأَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَ فَرِيضَةً» فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي وَتْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وَتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَتْ: «كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ، وَطَهُورَهُ، فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ، فَيَتَسَوَّكُ، وَيَتَوَضَّأُ، وَيُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ، يَجْلِسُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَيَدْعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً» فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَيَّ، فَلَمَّا «أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ، وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَ مَا سَلَّمَ» فَتِلْكَ تِسْعُ رَكَعَاتٍ يَا بُنَيَّ، «وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَدُومَ عَلَيْهَا» وَكَانَ إِذَا شَغَلَهُ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ نَوْمٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً «وَلَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ، وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً كَامِلَةً حَتَّى الصَّبَاحَ، وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ» فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا، فَقَالَ: صَدَقَتْ، أَمَا إِنِّي لَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لَأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي مُشَافَهَةً قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: «كَذَا وَقَعَ فِي كِتَابِي، وَلَا أَدْرِي مِمَّنِ الْخَطَأُ فِي مَوْضِعِ وَتْرِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ»