We fasted Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he did not lead us in any night prayer during the month until seven nights remained. Then he led us in prayer until a third of the night had passed.When the sixth remaining night came, he did not lead us in prayer. When the fifth remaining night came, he led us in prayer until half the night had passed.I said, "Messenger of Allah, what if you led us in voluntary prayer for the rest of this night?"He replied, "When a man prays with the imam until he finishes, it is recorded for him as having prayed the entire night."When the fourth remaining night came, he did not lead us in prayer. When the third remaining night came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people, and led us in prayer until we feared we would miss the falah.I asked, "What is the falah?"He said, "The pre-dawn meal."Then he did not lead us in night prayer for the rest of the month.
صمنا مع رسول الله ﷺ رمضان، فلم يقم بنا شيئا من الشهر، حتى بقي سبع، فقام بنا حتى ذهب ثلث الليل، فلما كانت السادسة لم يقم بنا، فلما كانت الخامسة قام بنا حتى ذهب شطر الليل. فقلت: يا رسول الله، لو نفلتنا قيام هذه الليلة؟ قال: فقال: إن الرجل إذا صلى مع الإمام حتى ينصرف حسب له قيام ليلة. قال: فلما كانت الرابعة لم يقم، فلما كانت الثالثة جمع أهله ونساءه والناس، فقام بنا حتى خشينا أن يفوتنا الفلاح. قال: قلت: وما الفلاح؟ قال: السحور، ثم لم يقم بنا بقية الشهر.
Reported by Abu Dawud (1375), Tirmidhi (806), Nasai (1364), (1605), and Ibn Majah (1327), all of them by way of Dawud bin Abu Hind, from Walid bin Abdul-Rahman Jurashi, from Jubayr bin Nufayr Hadrami, from Abu Dharr, who said (mentioning the hadith). Its chain of transmission is sahih. It was reported by Imam Ahmad (21447), and Ibn Khuzayma (2206) and Ibn Hibban (2547) graded it sahih, by way of Dawud bin Abu Hind, with the same chain. Tirmidhi said, "Hasan sahih."Suhur was named "falah" (success/pre-dawn nourishment) because the continuation of the fast depends on it, and suhur helps in completing the fast. Ramadan that year was thirty days.His saying, "until seven nights remained, he stood in prayer," means the night of the twenty-third. His saying, "he did not stand on the sixth," means the night of the twenty-fourth. His saying, "then when it was the fifth, he stood," means the night of the twenty-fifth. His saying, "then when it was the third, he gathered his household and his wives and stood," means the night of the twenty-seventh.This reckoning agrees with the hadith of Numan bin Bashir that follows.