حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَرْوَانَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْعُثْمَانِيُّ وَيَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ کَاسِبٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَغَرِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَکَ وَتَعَالَی حِينَ يَبْقَی ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ کُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ حَتَّی يَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ فَلِذَلِکَ کَانُوا يَسْتَحِبُّونَ صَلَاةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ عَلَی أَوَّلِهِ
ابن ماجہ · Hadith 1366
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: "Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends when one third of the night remains, every night, and He says: 'Who will ask of me. That I may give him? Who will call upon me? That I may answer him? Who will ask my forgiveness, that? I may forgive him?' until dawn comes." Hence they used to prefer voluntary prayers at the end of the night rather than at the beginning. (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020