Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا كَهْمَسٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُصْعَبُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، قَالَ قَالَ عُثْمَانُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهِ إِنِّي مُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ بِهِ إِلَّا الضِّنُّ بِكُمْ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ حَرَسُ لَيْلَةٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ لَيْلَةٍ يُقَامُ لَيْلُهَا وَيُصَامُ نَهَارُهَا.
English Translation
It was narrated that `Abdullah bin az-Zubair said: `Hadrat Uthman bin `Affan (may Allah be well pleased with him) said, speaking from his minbar: I am going to tell you a hadeeth that I heard from the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ; nothing kept me from telling it to you except the fact that I care for you. I heard the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Standing guard for one night for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted, is better than a thousand nights spent in prayer and days spent fasting.`