أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَصَلَّى رِجَالٌ بِصَلاَتِهِ، فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ فَتَحَدَّثُوا، فَاجْتَمَعَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُمْ، فَصَلَّوْا مَعَهُ، فَأَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ فَتَحَدَّثُوا، فَكَثُرَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ، فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّى، فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلاَتِهِ، فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ عَجَزَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ، حَتَّى خَرَجَ لِصَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ، فَلَمَّا قَضَى الْفَجْرَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، فَتَشَهَّدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَىَّ مَكَانُكُمْ، وَلَكِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَعْجِزُوا عَنْهَا . فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ
That he was informed by `Aisha, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out in the middle of the night and prayed inthe mosque and some men prayed behind him. In the morning, the people spoke about it and then alarge number of them gathered and prayed behind him (on the second night). In the next morning thepeople again talked about it and on the third night the mosque was full with a large number of people.Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came out and the people prayed behind him. On the fourth night the Mosque wasoverwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet (ﷺ) came out (only) for themorning prayer. When the morning prayer was finished he recited Tashah-hud and (addressing thepeople) said, "Amma ba'du, your presence was not hidden from me but I was afraid lest the nightprayer (Qiyam) should be enjoined on you and you might not be able to carry it on." So, Allah'sApostle died and the situation remained like that (i.e. people prayed individually). "