أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ مَالِکٍ عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّی فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَصَلَّی بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّی مِنْ الْقَابِلَةِ وَکَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنْ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوْ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنْ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْکُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ عَلَيْکُمْ وَذَلِکَ فِي رَمَضَانَ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 1609
It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم prayed in the Masjid one night, and some people followed his prayer. Then he prayed the following night and more people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم did not come out to them. When morning came he said: “I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you but the fact that I feared that this would be made obligatory for you,” and that was in Ramaclan. (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020