Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 284

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَمِنْهَا: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ يُصَلِّي فِي اللَّيْلِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، وَكَانَ يُطِيلُ الْقِيَامَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، كَانَ يَقُومُ إِذَا انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ، وَأَحْيَانًا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ حَسَبَ نَشَاطِهِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا قَامَ مِنْ نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ يَنَامُ فِي آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ، كَمَا قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ، وَإِلَّا صَلَّى إِلَى الْفَجْرِ إِذَا تَأَخَّرَ، فَإِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ صَلَّى الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ عَلَى جَنْبِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ.

One point is that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—would pray eleven rak'ahs at night, often prolonging his standing. He would rise at midnight, or sometimes later depending on his energy. If he rose at midnight, he would sleep during the final part of the night, as Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—related in another hadith. Otherwise, he would pray until dawn if he started later. Once dawn broke, he would pray the two rak'ahs and then lie down on his right side.

وَفِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يُسَنُّ تَخْفِيفُ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ كَمَا فَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، وَفِيهِ أَنَّ الْأَفْضَلَ لِلْإِمَامِ أَلَّا يَحْضُرَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ إِلَّا عِنْدَ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَأَنْ يَجْعَلَ صَلَاةَ الرَّوَاتِبِ فِي بَيْتِهِ، كَمَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ يَفْعَلُ، أَمَّا الْمَأْمُومُ فَإِنَّهُ يَتَقَدَّمُ، لَكِنَّ الْإِمَامَ لَمَّا كَانَ يُنْتَظَرُ وَلَا يَنْتَظِرُ صَارَتِ السُّنَّةُ أَنْ يَتَأَخَّرَ فِي بَيْتِهِ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ النَّوَافِلَ الْمَشْرُوعَةَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِيَ.

This indicates that it is Sunnah to keep the two rak'ahs of dawn brief, just as the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did. It also shows that it is better for the Imam to arrive at the mosque only when the prayer is about to begin, performing his regular Sunnah prayers at home as the Prophet used to do. While the congregation should arrive early, the Imam is the one being waited for; therefore, the Sunnah is for him to remain at home until he has finished his prescribed voluntary prayers before coming out.

وَفِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى اسْتِحْبَابِ الِاضْطِجَاعِ عَلَى الْجَنْبِ الْأَيْمَنِ بَعْدَ سُنَّةِ الْفَجْرِ لِمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ فِي بَيْتِهِ كَمَا فَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ.

This also serves as evidence that it is recommended for someone who has performed voluntary prayers at home to lie on their right side after the dawn Sunnah, just as the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 39 nouns)

• صَلَّى — to pray
• أَطَالَ — to lengthen
• قَامَ — to stand
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• لَيْل — night
• رَكْعَة — rak'ah