What to Say When Beginning the Night Prayer
Translated
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
From Rabee al-Jurashi who said I asked Ayesha, I said what would the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say when he would stand in the prayer at night, and with what would he begin saying in the prayer?
She said:
‘When the Messenger of Allaah would pray at night, he would say:
الله اكبر
Allaahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest) ten times, and say
الحمد لله
Alhamdulillaah (praise Him) ten times.
سبحانَ اللهِ وبحمدِه
He would say: SubhanAllaah wa Bihamdihi (far is Allaah from imperfection and praise is due to Him) ten times, He would say:
سبحانَ الملكِ القدوسِ
Subhan al-Malik al-Qudoos (far is Allaah from imperfection the Possesser of everything, the Holy) ten times،
استغفرَ الله
And said, Astaghfir Allaah (I seek forgiveness) ten times, and said,
لا اله إلا الله
La ilaha ilAllaah (none is worthy of worship except Allaah) ten times,
اللهم إني أعوذُ بك من ضيقِ الدنيا وضيقِ يومَ القيامةِ
Then he would say,
O Allaah indeed I seek refuge with You From the constraints of the Dunya, and the constraints of the day of Judgement, ten times.
‘Allaahumma inni Audhu bika min Dheeq ad-Dunya wa Dheeq yawm al-Qayyamah’ ten times.
Then he would begin the prayer, (Meaning begin reciting soorah Fatiha).
Collected by Abu Dawood and Al-Albaani graded it Hasan Saheeh
In another narration:
The Taba’ai Aasim bin Humayd said I asked Ayesha what would the Prophet ﷺ begin his Qayam al-Layl with.
She said, indeed you have asked me about something which no one has asked me about before.
He would say Allaahu Akbar ten times, and praise Him ten times, and SubhanAllaah ten times and Astaghfir Allaah ten times and he would say,
اللَّهمَّ اغفر لي واهدني وارزقني وعافني
O Allaah forgive me and guide me and give me provisions and pardon me.
(Allaahumma ighfirli wahdini warzuqni wa Aafini,)
He would seek refuge from the constraints of standing on the Day of Judgement.
Collected by Ibn Majah and graded Saheeh by Al-Albaani
Arabic Reference
[عن عائشة أم المؤمنين:] كان إذا هبَّ مِن الليلِ كبَّرَ عشرًا وحمَّدَ عشرًا، وقال: سبحانَ اللهِ وبحمدِه عشرًا، وقال: سبحانَ الملكِ القدوسِ عشرًا، واستغفرَ عشرًا، وهلَّلَ عشرًا، ثم قال: اللهم إني أعوذُ بك من ضيقِ الدنيا وضيقِ يومَ القيامةِ عشرًا، ثم يَفتتحُ الصلاةَ.
الألباني (ت ١٤٢٠)، صحيح أبي داود ٥٠٨٥
• حسن صحيح
سألتُ عائشةَ ماذا كانَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ يفتتحُ بِهِ قيامَ اللَّيلِ قالت لقد سألتني عن شيءٍ ما سألني عنْهُ أحدٌ قبلَكَ كانَ يُكبِّرُ عشرًا ويحمدُ عشرًا ويسبِّحُ عشرًا ويستغفرُ عشرًا ويقولُ اللَّهمَّ اغفر لي واهدني وارزقني وعافني ويتعوَّذُ من ضيقِ المقامِ يومَ القيامةِ
عاصم بن حميد • الألباني (ت ١٤٢٠)، صحيح ابن ماجه ١١٢٣ • صحيح