Imam abu Nu'aym al Asbahani رحمہ اللہ said; It has been reported from Sulayman bin Ahmad (Imam Tabarani رحمہ اللہ) that Abdullah ibn Ahmad bin Hanbal said:
أَبِي يُصَلِّي فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ رَكْعَةٍ، فَلَمَّا مَرِضَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَسْوَاطِ أَضْعَفَتْهُ، فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ مِائَةً وَخَمْسِينَ رَكْعَةً، وَكَانَ قُرْبَ الثَّمَانِينَ»
My father used to offer 300 Nawafil (voluntary prayers) during the day and night and when he became weak because of the lashes then he used to offer 150 rakah of nawafil prayer in the day and night and he was 80 years old at that time.
Son of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal رحمہ اللہ said:
أَبِي يَقْرَأُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعًا يَخْتِمُ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ خَتْمَةٌ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعِ لَيَالٍ، سِوَى صَلَاةِ النَّهَارِ، وَكَانَ سَاعَةَ يُصَلَّى عِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةِ يَنَامُ نَوْمَةً خَفِيفَةً، ثُمَّ يَقُومُ إِلَى الصَّبَّاحِ يُصَلِّي وَيَدْعُو
Father used to recite seventh part of the Qur'an on the daily basis and complete the recitation of Qur'an in seven days and sleep a little in the night and till morning he would indulge himself in salah and remembrance of Allah.
[al Hilya al Awliya 181/9, sanad classified as Sahih]
Allah عزوجل said in Qur'an:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ كَانُوا قَلِيلا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ وَبِالأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ.
Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. They used to sleep but little of the night, And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
[Surah az Zariyat 51/15-18]
Translated from حماد بن سعيد العلوي
