'A'isha reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out during the night and observed prayer in the mosque and some of the people prayed along with him. When it was morning the people talked about this and so a large number of people gathered there. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out for the second night, and they (the people) prayed along with him. When it was morning the people began to talk about it. So the mosque thronged with people on the third night. He (the Holy Prophet) came out and they prayed along with him. When it was the fourth night, the mosque was filled to its utmost capacity but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out. Some persons among then cried:" Prayer." But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come to them till he came out for the morning prayer. When he had completed the morning prayer, he turned his face to the people and recited Tashahhud (I bear testi- mony that there is no god but Allah and I bear testimony that Muhammad is His Messen- ger) and then said: Your affair was not hidden from me in the night, but I was afraid that (my observing prayer continuously) might make the night prayer obligatory for you and you might be unable to perform it.
وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى رِجَالٌ بِصَلاَتِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ بِذَلِكَ فَاجْتَمَعَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُمْ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلاَتِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ يَذْكُرُونَ ذَلِكَ فَكَثُرَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَخَرَجَ فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلاَتِهِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ عَجَزَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَطَفِقَ رِجَالٌ مِنْهُمْ يَقُولُونَ الصَّلاَةَ . فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى خَرَجَ لِصَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى الْفَجْرَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ثُمَّ تَشَهَّدَ فَقَالَ " أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَىَّ شَأْنُكُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ وَلَكِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ فَتَعْجِزُوا عَنْهَا " .
Muslim
The Book of Prayer - Travellers • Hadith 212