These benefits are from the esteemed Mālikī Scholar, Imām Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr (D. 463^AH), in his book ‘al-Istidhkār’, a detailed explanation of Imām Mālik’s Ḥadīth Collection, ‘al-Muwattā’. His commentary stands as one of the most comprehensive Fiqh texts, encompassing the viewpoints of jurists from various schools of thought alongside their respective evidences.

Imām Mālik (rahimahullah) says in his ‘Muwatta’: The Book of Prayer in Ramadan, Chapter: The Encouragement to Pray at Night During Ramadan.

Imām Mālik (rahimahullah) then reports two hadiths with their chains of narration; one of them from Ibn Shihāb from ‘Urwah from ‘Ā’ishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) who said:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ. الْحَدِيثَ

“Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ prayed in the mosque one night and a group of people joined him in prayer…”

The other hadith is from Ibn Shihāb from Abū Salamah from Abū Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu):

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ. الْحَدِيثَ

“Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ used to encourage people to pray at night in Ramadan….”

The first hadith contains the follow fiqh benefits:

1. It is legislated to pray in congregation in [some] voluntary prayers.

2. If a voluntary prayer is performed in congregation according to the Prophet’s Sunnah then there is no Adhān nor Iqāmah for it because it has not been reported from the Prophet ﷺ and if it was legislated then it would have been mentioned and conveyed. The scholars have a consensus (ijmā‘) that there is no Adhān for any of the Sunnah and voluntary prayers and that the Adhān is only for the prescribed prayers; there is no need to speak in detail regarding this [since there is a consensus].

3. Standing in night prayer in Ramadan is a Sunnah from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ, it is recommended and highly encouraged. ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) would not have made it a common practice if Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ did not love it. Nothing prevented the Prophet from regularly observing night prayer in congregation except that he feared that it would become obligatory upon his ummah and he was kind and merciful to the believers. ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) knew this from the Prophet ﷺ, and he also knew that nothing can be added or omitted from obligations, he established it for the people, he revived it and commanded with it; this was in the year 14 after the hijrah, in the beginning of his caliphate.

Further evidence that the night prayer in the month of Ramadan is a Sunnah from the practice of the Prophet is the hadith of Abū Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) who said that Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said “Certainly, Allāh has prescribed upon you fasting in Ramaḍān and I have made it a Sunnah for you to stand in night prayer, so whoever fasts and prays in it with faith and seeking reward will have his previous sins forgiven.” This wording has not been reported from Mālik by anyone other than Abū Qilābah al-Riqāshī from Bishr ibn ‘Umar.^[1]

Also, ‘Ā’isha (radiyallahu ‘anha) said: “Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ used to sometimes abandon an action even though he loved to do it so that it does not become obligatory upon the people.”

We mentioned in ‘al-Tamhid’^[2] the hadith of Abū Dharr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet ﷺ led the companions in the night prayer for some nights in the masjid.

All of this is an evidence that it is permissible to ascribe the night prayer in Ramadan to the Prophet [and his Sunnah] due to him encouraging it and praying it and also due to the fact that ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) only makes a Sunnah what Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ already made a Sunnah.

4. The virtue of the night prayer in Ramadan

5. What is apparent is that it is permissible to pray the night prayer in congregation or individually because in the hadith the Prophet ﷺ did not say “Whoever prays by himself.” Nor did he say: “Whoever prays in congregation.” Both praying individually or in congregation is good and Allāh has encouraged doing good deeds with his statement: “…and do good that you may be successful.” (Sūrah al-Ḥajj 22:77)

6. In the Prophet’s statement: “Out of faith and seeking reward” is an evidence that forgiveness of sins by way of righteous actions is only if they are accompanied with faith, seeking reward and true intentions. And we have already mentioned earlier in the book (al-Istidkhār) that major sins are not expiated except with tawbah (repentance), regret and having resolve to not go back to the sin. And with Allāh lies success and guidance.

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Source: Slightly abridged from ‘al-Istidhkār’ of Imām Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr (2/62-65)

Footnotes:

[1] Here, the author indicates that this wording, specifically the section—“and I have made it a Sunnah…”—is weak but the rest of the hadith is authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Muslim.

[2] ‘al-Tamhid’ is another explanation of al-Muwatta’ authored by Imam Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr.