Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 1, Hadith 226
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: Ghudayf ibn al-Harith reported: I asked Aisha: Have you seen the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) washing (because of defilement) at the beginning of the night or at the end? She replied: Sometimes he would take a bath at the beginning of the night and sometimes at the end. Thereupon I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All Praise be to Allah Who made this matter accommodative. I again asked her: What do you think, did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say the witr prayer (additional prayer after obligatory prayer at night) in the beginning of the night or at the end? She replied: Sometimes he would say the witr prayer at the beginning of the night and sometimes at the end. I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All praise be to Allah Who made the matter accommodative. Again I asked her: What do you think, did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite the Qur’an (in the prayer) loudly or softly? She replied: Sometimes he would recite loudly and sometimes softly. I exclaimed: Allah is most Great. All praise be to Allah Who made the matter flexible.
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، ح حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا بُرْدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ نُسَىٍّ، عَنْ غُضَيْفِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَرَأَيْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَغْتَسِلُ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ فِي أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ فِي آخِرِهِ قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ فِي أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ وَرُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ فِي آخِرِهِ . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي الأَمْرِ سَعَةً . قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُوتِرُ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ أَمْ فِي آخِرِهِ قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ فِي أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ وَرُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ فِي آخِرِهِ . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي الأَمْرِ سَعَةً . قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَجْهَرُ بِالْقُرْآنِ أَمْ يَخْفِتُ بِهِ قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا جَهَرَ بِهِ وَرُبَّمَا خَفَتَ . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي الأَمْرِ سَعَةً .
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 1, Hadith 226
This hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. What truly distinguishes Sunan Abi Dawud among its peers is its compiler’s advanced critical scholarship. Abu Dawud was not merely a collector but a rigorous evaluator. He applied a discerning methodology to vet the authenticity of each narration, frequently providing his own notes on the strength or weakness of the hadiths included. While he prioritized sound (sahih) and reliable reports for legal derivation, he sometimes included less robust narrations to illustrate scholarly points. This transparent and critical approach is a primary reason for the collection’s esteemed and highly authoritative status within the Islamic sciences.
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For more Hadith in Book 1: Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)