Hadith 30.1

ENGLISH

‘Abdallah b. Shaqiq said he asked ‘A'isha about the Messenger of God’s voluntary prayers and she replied, “Before the noon prayer he would pray four <i>rak'as</i> in my house, then go out and lead the people in prayer, then come in and pray two <i>rak'as</i>. He would lead the people in the sunset prayer, then come in and pray two <i>rak'as</i>. Then he would lead the people in the evening prayer, and enter my house and pray two <i>rak'as</i>. He would pray nine <i>rak'as</i> during the night, including the <i>witr</i>.* At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and when he recited the Qur’an while standing he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position; and when dawn came he prayed two <i>rak'as</i>." *See Chap. 34 Muslim transmitted it, and Abu Dawud added, “Then he would go out and lead the people in the dawn prayer.”