The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the mosque, and Some men prayed along with him. The next morning, people talked about it, so a larger group gathered the following night.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out on the second night and they prayed with him. The next morning, people spoke of it again, and on the third night the mosque grew even more crowded. He came out and they prayed with him.When the fourth night came, the mosque could not hold all those who had gathered, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. Some men among them began calling out, "The prayer!" but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ still did not come out to them, until he came out for the dawn prayer.When he had finished the dawn prayer, he turned to the people, gave the testimony of faith, and said, "Now then, your situation last night was not hidden from me, but I feared that the night prayer would be made obligatory upon you and you would be unable to keep up with it."
و حدثني حرملة بن يحيى أخبرنا عبد الله بن وهب أخبرني يونس بن يزيد عن ابن شهاب قال أخبرني عروة بن الزبير أن
أن رسول الله ﷺ خرج من جوف الليل فصلى في المسجد فصلى رجال بصلاته فأصبح الناس يتحدثون بذلك فاجتمع أكثر منهم فخرج رسول الله ﷺ في الليلة الثانية فصلوا بصلاته فأصبح الناس يذكرون ذلك فكثر أهل المسجد من الليلة الثالثة فخرج فصلوا بصلاته فلما كانت الليلة الرابعة عجز المسجد عن أهله فلم يخرج إليهم رسول الله ﷺ فطفق رجال منهم يقولون الصلاة فلم يخرج إليهم رسول الله ﷺ حتى خرج لصلاة الفجر فلما قضى الفجر أقبل على الناس ثم تشهد فقال أما بعد فإنه لم يخف علي شأنكم الليلة ولكني خشيت أن تفرض عليكم صلاة الليل فتعجزوا عنها