used to sleep for the first part of the night and stand in prayer for the latter part of it. (Agreed on)
870. Keep to prayer during the night, for it was the custom of the righteous from before you, and it is a means of drawing near to your Lord, and a source of forgiveness for evil deeds, and a means of quitting sin. (Ibn Khuzaymah)
871- ثَلَاثَةٌ يَضْحَكُ اللهُ إِلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ يَقُوْمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالقَوْمُ إِذَا صَفُّوا لِلصَّلَاةِ وَالقَوْمُ إِذَا صَفُّوا لِلقِتَالِ. أحمد871. There are three types of people upon whom Allah smiles: a man who stands the night in prayer, the group of people who form rows for the prayer, and the group of people who form rows for fighting (in jihad). (Ahmad)
872- عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ كَانَ يَنَامُ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُوْمُ آخِرَهُ. متفق عليه
872. It is related by Aishah that the Prophet used to sleep for the first part of the night and stand in prayer for the latter part of it. (Agreed on)
873. Allah shows mercy to a man who stands for part of the night praying and wakes his wife and she then prays, and if she refuses he sprinkles a little water in her face. And Allah shows mercy to a woman who stands for part of the night praying and wakes her husband and he then prays, and if he refuses she sprinkles a little water in his face. (Ahmad)
874- مَنْ اسْتَيْقَظَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ فَصَلَّيَا جَمِيْعَاً رَكْعَتَيْنِ كُتِبَا مِنَ الذَّاكِرِيْنَ اللهَ كَثِيْرَاً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ. أبو داود874. Whosoever wakes in the night (for prayer) and wakes his wife and they pray together rakatain, they will be written among the men and women who remember Allah much. (Abu Daud)
875- يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ اسْمُهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ حِيْنَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَقُوْلُ مَنْ يَدْعُوْنِيْ فَأَسْتَجِيْبَ لَهُ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُنِيْ فأَغْفِرَ لَهُ وَمَنْ يَسْأَلُنِيْ فَأُعْطِيَهُ. البخاري875. Our Lord, blessed be His Name, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains and says, “Who is supplicating to Me so that I might respond to him, and who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I might forgive him, and who is asking something from Me so that I might give it to him.” (Al-Bukhari)
876- إِنَّ فِي اللَّيْلِ لَسَاعَةً لا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللهَ فِيْهَا خَيْرَاً إِلَّا آتَاهُ اللهُ إِيَّاهُ وَذَلِكَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ. أحمد876. There is a certain hour at night; if you come across it, Allah certainly answers the supplication for good things; and that is every night. (Ahmad)
877- أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُوْنُ الرَّبُ مِنَ العَبْدِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنْ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِمَّنْ يَذْكُرِ اللهَ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ فَكُنْ. أحمد877. The time in which God gets closer to the man is the depth of the night; so if you can be one of those who glorify Allah in this hour, then be one. (Ahmad)
878- يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ لا تَكُنْ مِثْلَ فُلَانٍ كَانَ يَقُوْمُ اللَّيْلَ فَتَرَكَ قَيَامَ اللَّيْلِ. البخاري878. (Rasulullah said to a companion) Oh servant of Allah, do not be like so-and-so who used to pray at night and then left off praying in the night. (Al-Bukhari)