With what should prayer at night begin?
باب بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ تُسْتَفْتَحُ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ
Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day(view book)
Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur-Rahman said:
"I asked 'Aishah: 'With what did the Prophet ﷺ start his prayer?' She said: 'When he got up to pray at night he would start his prayer with the words: Allahumma Rabba Jibril wa Maika'il wa Israfil; Fatirus-samawati wal-ard, 'alim al-ghaybi wash-shahadah, anta tahkumu bayna 'ibadika fima kanu fihi yakhtalifun, Allahumma ihdini limakktulifa fihi min al-haqq innaka tahdi man tasha'ila siratin mustaqim (O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning wherein they differ. O Allah, guide me to the disputed matters of truth for You are the One Who guides to the Straight Path)."
أَخْبَرَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ صَلاَتَهُ قَالَتْ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ افْتَتَحَ صَلاَتَهُ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ " .
Classification
It was narrated that Ibn Shihaab said:
"Humaid bin Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf told me that a man from among the companions of the Prophet ﷺ said: 'I said, when I was on a journey with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: By Allah (Subhanahu-wa-Taala), I am going to watch the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and see what he does. When he prayed 'Isha, he lay down for a long time. Then he woke up and looked toward the horizon and said: "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose" until he reached: "for You never break (Your) Promise." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reached across his bed and took a siwak from it, then he poured water from a vessel and cleaned his teeth. Then he stood and prayed until I said: He has prayed for as long as he has slept. Then he lay down until I said: He has slept as long as he prayed. Then he woke up and did the same as he had done the first time and said the same as he had said. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did that three times before Fajr.'"
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَأَنَا فِي سَفَرٍ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاللَّهِ لأَرْقُبَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِصَلاَةٍ حَتَّى أَرَى فِعْلَهُ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى صَلاَةَ الْعِشَاءِ - وَهِيَ الْعَتَمَةُ - اضْطَجَعَ هَوِيًّا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَنَظَرَ فِي الأُفُقِ فَقَالَ { رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلاً } حَتَّى بَلَغَ { إِنَّكَ لاَ تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ } . ثُمَّ أَهْوَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَاسْتَلَّ مِنْهُ سِوَاكًا ثُمَّ أَفْرَغَ فِي قَدَحٍ مِنْ إِدَاوَةٍ عِنْدَهُ مَاءً فَاسْتَنَّ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَصَلَّى حَتَّى قُلْتُ قَدْ صَلَّى قَدْرَ مَا نَامَ ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ حَتَّى قُلْتُ قَدْ نَامَ قَدْرَ مَا صَلَّى ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَفَعَلَ كَمَا فَعَلَ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَقَالَ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ فَفَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ .