A Day in the Life of Prophet Muhammad(SAW)

The Night Prayer (Isha)

The Prophet stayed at home until Isha prayer was called. He

did not proceed immediately to offer this prayer. He waited for the

people. If they gathered early, he would offer it then, and if they

were late, he would delay the prayer. He preferred to delay this

prayer, but he did not wish to make things hard for people.

He once delayed the Isha prayer. 'Umar came over and called

out to him, saying: "Messenger of God, women and children have

gone to sleep. The Prophet came out with his head dripping. He

wiped the water off his side. He said: "This is the right time. Had it

not been for fear that I would be making things difficult for my

community, I would have ordered that they should pray Isha at this

time.

One night, the call to start the Isha prayer was made. A man

stood up and said: "Messenger of God, I have something to say to

you." The Prophet stood with him talking to him. The people

waited and some of them even felt drowsy. The Prophet kept his

prayer light but ensured that it was perfect. Anas said: "I have never

prayed behind an Imam whose prayer was lighter and at the same

time more perfect than God's messenger." As he was in prayer, he

might hear a child crying while the mother was praying, and he

would then recite only a short surah, so that not to make it hard for

the mother. He said: "I start the prayer intending to make it long,

but I hear a boy crying and I then make the prayer short, because I

know how anxious his mother is becau se of his crying."

When he finished the Isha prayer, he would speak to his

companions if there was something to speak about. For example,

one night towards the end o f his life, he finished the Isha prayer

and stood up. He said: "Look at this night of yours: by the end of

one hundred years from tonight, no one who is alive on the face of

the earth today will be alive then." Once he delayed Isha prayer,

then he led the congregation of his companions and when he

finished he addressed them saying: "People have offered their

prayers and gone to sleep. You are deemed to be in prayer as long

as you are waiting for it." One night he much delayed the I sha prayer37 before coming

out to lead the congregation. When the prayer was over, he said to

those who attended it: "Wait a little. Rejoice, for God has bestowed

on you His grace in that there is no one other than you has been

praying at this time." His companions went home delighted to learn

that, for it was a very happy news given to them by the Prophet.

The Prophet rarely talked to his companions after Isha prayer,

and when he did, he made his talk short because people were

normally tired and needed to go to sleep. Generally speaking, he

preferred not to talk after Isha prayer.

When he finished the prayer, the Prophet stayed in his place

until the women had left the mosque and went home before he left.

When the Prophet rose to go home, the men also rose to go.