Every day, my father would read a seventh [of the Qur.aan], and he would take a very light sleep after ‘Ishaa. He would then [awake and] stand [the night] in prayer and supplicate until the morning.
Tag: night prayer
Divide the night into thirds
Abu Bakr al-Anbaaree said that al-Imaam, al-Haafith Abu ‘Ubayd would divide the night into thirds; so he would pray a third of it, and sleep a third of it, and author books [during] a third of it.
Disciplined and consistent
His set portion [of worship] every night was [to pray] twenty rak’ahs whilst at home and [also when on] travels. And when he would be done with them, he would write thirty five pages of his book.
My father
If you were not from my family I would not have told you this about my father; he was steadfast in fasting every other day for forty years, and he would [also] pray the fajr prayer with the ‘ishaa prayer.
He would still pray every day and night
My father would pray 300 rak’ahs every day and night, and when he became ill from having been whipped, it weakened him. [Thereafter], he would [only be able to] pray 150 rak’ahs every day and night.
His daily portion of worship
The portion [of worship which] Abu Yoosuf al-Qaadhee had set himself every day was 200 rak’ahs.
The night prayer at home and whilst travelling
The portion [of worship which] Ibn al-Baaqillaanee had set himself every night was 20 rak’ahs – [and this was] whilst he was at home and [also] whilst he was travelling; and when he was done, he would take to writing 35 pages of his book.
Always maintained the night prayer
I heard Muhammad ibn Hamdoon say: I accompanied Abu Bakr ibn Ishaaq as-Sibghee for [many] years, and I never saw him leave the night prayer – not during travel, and nor when he wasn’t [travelling].
Maintaining the night prayer
I heard ‘Abdullaah the son of ‘Alee ibn Hamshaad say: I do not know that my father [ever] left the night prayer.
Dividing the night in three parts
Zubayd ibn al-Haarith would divide the night in three parts: a part for himself, a part for his son, and a part for his other son ‘Abdur-Rahmaan.