Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ مَعَ الْوُضُوءِ وَلَأَخَّرْتُ الْعِشَاءَ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِذَا مَضَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نِصْفُ اللَّيْلِ نَزَلَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا جَلَّ وَعَزَّ فَقَالَ هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ فَأَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأُجِيبَهُ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ فَذَكَرَ مَعْنَاهُ وَقَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَنْزِلُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا وَقَالَ فِيهِ حَتَّى يَطْلُعَ الْفَجْرُ.
English Translation
Yahya narrated to us, who said: Ubaidullah informed me, from Sa'id, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: "Were it not that I would impose hardship on my Ummah, I would have commanded them to use the tooth-stick (siwak) with ablution, and I would have delayed the Isha prayer to a third or half of the night. When a third or half of the night passes, the Most Mighty and Majestic descends to the lowest heaven and says: 'Is there anyone asking, so that I may give him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone repenting, so that I may accept his repentance? Is there anyone supplicating, so that I may answer him?'" Ibn Numair narrated to us, who said: Ubaidullah informed us, from Sa'id al-Maqburi, from Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Were it not that I would impose hardship..." and mentioned its meaning, and he said: "For Allah the Mighty and Sublime descends every night to the lowest heaven," and he added: "until dawn breaks."