حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ وَأَبُو کَامِلٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّکْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ أَؤُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الْقِرَائَةَ قَالَ کَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَی مَثْنَی وَيُوتِرُ بِرَکْعَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي لَسْتُ عَنْ هَذَا أَسْأَلُکَ قَالَ إِنَّکَ لَضَخْمٌ أَلَا تَدَعُنِي أَسْتَقْرِئُ لَکَ الْحَدِيثَ کَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَی مَثْنَی وَيُوتِرُ بِرَکْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي رَکْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ کَأَنَّ الْأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ قَالَ خَلَفٌ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّکْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ وَلَمْ يَذْکُرْ صَلَاةِ
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 1761
Ibn 'Umar reported: A person called (the attention) of the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as he was in the mosque, and said: Messenger of Allah, how should I make the rak'ahs of the night prayer an odd number? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: He who prays (night prayer) he should observe it in pairs, but if he apprehends the rise of morning, he should observe one rak'ah; that would make the number odd (for the rak'ahs) observed by him. This was narrated by Abu Kuraib 'Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah and Ibn 'Umar did not make mention of it.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020