Benefits of the hadith of 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray eleven rak'ahs at night

The Shaykh : In this hadith, there is evidence for several benefits. First: Among the blessings of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that Allah the Exalted has revealed to us what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to do in secret at night through his wives (may Allah be pleased with them). This is part of the wisdom behind the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) having multiple wives, as he passed away leaving nine women. Among the benefits of this is that each woman among them would convey a sunnah (recommended practice) that no one else would know except her. It is also mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray eleven rak'ahs at night and would prolong his standing in prayer (peace and blessings be upon him). He would rise when the night was half over, and sometimes after that, depending on his energy. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would also sleep at the end of the night after rising from the middle of the night, as 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said in another hadith. Otherwise, if he delayed, he would pray until the dawn. When the dawn appeared, he would pray the two rak'ahs and then lie down on his right side. There is evidence in this that it is recommended to lighten the two rak'ahs of the dawn, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. It also indicates that it is best for the imam not to come to the mosque until the iqamah (the second call) is made, and to perform the rawatib (the regular voluntary prayers attached to the obligatory ones) in his home, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. As for the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam), he should advance, but since the imam is the one who is waited for and does not wait for others, it is the sunnah (recommended practice) for him to delay in his home until he prays the prescribed voluntary prayers and then attends. There is also evidence for the recommendation of lying down on the right side after the sunnah (recommended practice) of the dawn for one who prays voluntarily in his home, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding this lying down. Some said: It is a sunnah (recommended practice) in all cases. Some said: It is not a sunnah (recommended practice) unless the person is one who prays at the end of the night, in which case he lies down to give his body some rest. Some were strict about it, to the point that some scholars made it a condition for the validity of the Fajr (the dawn prayer) prayer, saying: One who does not lie down after the sunnah (recommended practice) has no prayer. However, this is an anomalous opinion. We mentioned it only to show you that some scholars bring forward anomalous opinions that are far from the truth. The correct view is that it is a sunnah (recommended practice) for one who performs tahajjud (the late-night voluntary prayer) at night and finds it difficult, so he tires and lies down until the call to prayer is made. This is clear for the imam. As for the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam), if he lies down, he might stand up for the iqamah (the second call) and miss part of the prayer without realizing it, because the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) is not waited for; the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) waits and is not waited for. But the imam is the one people wait for. So if he lies down after the sunnah (recommended practice) of the dawn in his home, this is from the sunnah (recommended practice) if he is one who strives in tahajjud (the late-night voluntary prayer). As for one who does not rise except late, or does not rise except with the adhan (the call to prayer) of Fajr (the dawn prayer), there is no need for him to lie down after the sunnah (recommended practice) of the dawn. And success is from Allah.