The Virtue of the Night Prayer, Feeding the Hungry, and Frequent Fasting

Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu al-Khayr ibn Bushran informed us, Abu 'Amr 'Uthman ibn Ahmad, known as Ibn al-Sammak, informed us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Mansur narrated to us, my father narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Mu'min narrated to us: I heard Muhammad ibn Wasi' mentioning from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us:

"Shall I not inform you of the upper chambers of Paradise?" He said: We said, "Yes, indeed, O Messenger of Allah! May our fathers and mothers be ransomed for you." He said, "Indeed, in Paradise there are chambers made of every variety of jewel, the outside of which can be seen from the inside, and the inside of which can be seen from the outside. In them are such bliss, delights, and exquisite splendor as no eye has ever seen, nor ear has ever heard." He said: We asked, "O Messenger of Allah, for whom are these chambers?" He replied, "For the one who spreads the greeting of peace, feeds others, fasts continuously, and prays at night while the people are asleep."

He said: We said, "O Messenger of Allah, who is capable of doing that?" He said, "My Ummah is capable of that, and I shall inform you about it: Whoever meets his brother and greets him with peace, or returns his greeting, has indeed spread the greeting of peace; whoever feeds his dependents and his family until they are satisfied has indeed fed others; whoever fasts Ramadan and three days of every month has indeed fasted continuously; and whoever prays the late 'Isha prayer and the morning prayer in congregation has indeed prayed at night while the people are asleep, meaning the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians."

Then al-Bayhaqi said: This chain of transmission is not strong; however, through both chains, they strengthen one another, and Allah knows best.

He said: And it has been narrated through another chain of transmission from Jabir.

Then he recorded it through the route of 'Ali ibn Harb, from Hafs ibn 'Amr, from 'Amr ibn Qays al-Mula'i, from 'Ata', from Ibn 'Abbas, as a marfu' narration similar to it.

And al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of Hasan ibn Farqad, from al-Hasan al-Basri, from 'Imran ibn Husayn and Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with them), who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked concerning this verse: {and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence} [at-Tawbah: 72].