Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ التَّيْمِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ فِي مَسْجِدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي رَمَضَانَ بِاللَّيْلِ أَوْزَاعًا يَكُونُ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ فَيَكُونُ مَعَهُ النَّفَرُ الْخَمْسَةُ أَوْ السِّتَّةُ أَوْ أَقَلُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ فَيُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاتِهِ قَالَتْ فَأَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ أَنْصِبَ لَهُ حَصِيرًا عَلَى بَابِ حُجْرَتِي فَفَعَلْتُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعْدَ أَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ قَالَتْ فَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلًا طَوِيلًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَخَلَ وَتَرَكَ الْحَصِيرَ عَلَى حَالِهِ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ تَحَدَّثُوا بِصَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَتْ وَأَمْسَى الْمَسْجِدُ رَاجًّا بِالنَّاسِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ وَثَبَتَ النَّاسُ قَالَتْ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ يَا عَائِشَةُ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ سَمِعَ النَّاسُ بِصَلَاتِكَ الْبَارِحَةَ بِمَنْ كَانَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَحَشَدُوا لِذَلِكَ لِتُصَلِّيَ بِهِمْ قَالَتْ فَقَالَ اطْوِ عَنَّا حَصِيرَكِ يَا عَائِشَةُ قَالَتْ فَفَعَلْتُ وَبَاتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَيْرَ غَافِلٍ وَثَبَتَ النَّاسُ مَكَانَهُمْ حَتَّى خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى الصُّبْحِ فَقَالَتْ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا بِتُّ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ لَيْلَتِي هَذِهِ غَافِلًا وَمَا خَفِيَ عَلَيَّ مَكَانُكُمْ وَلَكِنِّي تَخَوَّفْتُ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاكْلَفُوا مِنْ الْأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا قَالَ وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَقُولُ إِنَّ أَحَبَّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَلَّ.
English Translation
Ya'qub narrated to us, he said: My father narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi narrated to me, from Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, from Aisha, wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: The people used to pray in the mosque of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, during the nights of Ramadan in scattered groups; a man would have some portion of the Qur'an with him, and there would be with him a group of five or six or fewer or more, and they would pray following his prayer. She said: So the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered me one of those nights to set up a mat for him at the door of my chamber, and I did so. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, went out to it after he had prayed the last night prayer. She said: Those who were in the mosque gathered to him, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed with them a long portion of the night. Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, withdrew and went inside, leaving the mat as it was. When morning came, the people spoke of the prayer of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, with those who had been with him in the mosque that night. She said: And the mosque became crowded with people that evening, so the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed the last night prayer with them, then entered his house, and the people remained. She said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me, "What is the matter with the people, O Aisha?" She said: I said to him, "O Messenger of God, the people heard of your prayer last night with those who were in the mosque, so they gathered for that, so that you would pray with them." She said: He said, "Roll up your mat for us, O Aisha." She said: I did so, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, spent the night not unaware, while the people remained in their places until the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, went out for the dawn prayer. He said, "O people, by God, I did not, praise be to God, spend this night of mine unaware, and your presence was not hidden from me, but I feared that it might be made obligatory upon you, so undertake of deeds only what you are able to bear, for God does not tire until you tire." He said: And Aisha used to say, "The most beloved deeds to God are those most consistently done, even if small."