On the fourth night...

On the fourth night, the Mosque was overwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet (s) came out (only) for the Morning Prayer. When the Morning Prayer was finished, he recited Tashah-hud and (addressing the people) said, “Amma ba’du, your presence was not hidden from me but I was afraid lest the night prayer (Qiyām) should be enjoined on you and you might not be able to carry it on.” So, Allah’s Apostle died and the situation remained like that (i.e.

people prayed individually) [2] “ It is crystal clear from this hadith that, the Prophet did not call for this prayer to be established; rather, the companions formed congregations behind him without his verbal permit. However, when he realized their intentions about it, he cautioned them that it should not be in a congregation – fearing a recommended prayer might turn obligatory for them, which could be difficult perhaps due to its timing (middle of the night).

The Sunni’s Understanding of the Hadith Ahlu as-Sunnah’s understanding of this hadith is that the Prophet did not forbid the “Qiyām al-Layl” prayer from being established in congregations permanently. Rather, they understood the forbiddance to mean “during that period” where people’s understanding of the practice of Islam had not been perfected. Therefore, about a decade after the demise of the Prophet, the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab “re-established” “this Sunnah” .

Again, Imam Bukhari documents that Abdur Rahman ibn Abdul-Qari said: “I went out in the company of Umar ibn Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. Therefore, Umar said, in my opinion , I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one reciter (i.e. let them pray in congregation!). Therefore, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubay ibn Ka’b.

Then on another night, I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, Umar remarked, “ What an excellent BID’A” (i.e. an innovation in religion). This is; but the prayer, which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering. He meant the prayer in the last part of the night.