The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Choose such actions as you are capable of performing, for Allah does not grow weary till you do. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little. Whenever he began an action, he would do it continuously.

He uttered the salutation in a way that we could hear it.

He (the Prophet) would offer the night prayer and go to his bed. In this version there is no mention of praying four rak'ahs. The narrator then transmitted the rest of the tradition. This version further says: He would pray eight rak'ahs during which his recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostration were all equal. He would sit only after the eight rak'ah, and then stand up without uttering the salutation, and pray one rak'ah observing witr prayer and then give the salutation raising his voice so much so that we were about to awake. The narrator then transmitted the tradition to the same effect.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night, observing the witr prayer with nine (or as she said). He used to pray two rak'ahs while sitting and pray two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer between the adhan and the iqamah.

I spent a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimunah, daughter of al-Harith. The Prophet (ﷺ) offered the night prayer. He then came and prayed four rak'ahs and slept. He then stood up and prayed. I stood at his left side. He made me go round and made me stand at his right side. He then prayed five rak'ahs and slept, and I heard his snoring. He then got up and prayed two rak'ahs. Afterwards he came out and offered the dawn prayer.

He (the Prophet) got up and prayed eight rak'ahs in pairs, and then observed witr with five rak'ahs and he did not sit between them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the night prayer and then prayed eight rak'ahs standing, and two rak'ahs between the two adhans (i.e. the adhan for the dawn prayer and the iqamah). He never left them.

Jaf'ar b. Musafir said in his version: (He prayed) the two rak'ahs sitting between the two adhans. He added the word "sitting".

The narrator Ahmad added in his version: He would not observe the witr with two rak'ahs before the dawn. I asked: With what would he observe the witr ? She said: He would never leave it. The version of Ahmad does not mention the words "six and three (rak'ahs)".

How would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray during the night ? He replied: I spent a night with him when he was with Maimunah. He slept and awoke when half the night or one-third of it had passed. He stood up and went to a leather bad containing water. He performed ablution and I also performed ablution with him. He then stood up and I also stood at his left side. He made me stand at his right side. He then put his hand upon my head, as he was touching my ear and awakening me. He then prayed two light rak'ahs and recited Surah al-Fatihah in each of them, and uttered the salutation. He then prayed eleven rak'ahs observing the witr and slept. Then Bilal came to him and said: Prayer, Messenger of Allah. He got up and prayed two rak'ahs, and then led the people in the prayer.

Zurarah ibn Awfa said that Aisha was asked about the midnight prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

She said: He used to offer his night prayer in congregation and then return to his family (in his house) and pray four rak'ahs. Then he would go to his bed and sleep, but the water for his ablution was placed covered near his head and his tooth-stick was also kept there until Allah awakened him at night.

He then used the tooth-stick, performed ablution perfectly then came to the place of prayer and would pray eight rak'ahs, in which he would recite Surah al-Fatihah, and a surah from the Qur'an as Allah willed. He would not sit during any of them but sit after the eighth rak'ah, and would not utter the salutation, but recite (the Qur'an) during the ninth rak'ah. Then he would sit and supplicate as long as Allah willed, and beg Him and devote his attention to Him; He would utter the salutation once in such a loud voice that the inmates of the house were almost awakened by his loud salutation. He would then recite Surah al-Fatihah while sitting, bow while sitting, and then recite the Qur'an during the second rak'ah, and would bow and prostrate while sitting. He would supplicate Allah as long as He willed, then utter the salutation and turn away.

This amount of prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) continued till he put a weight. During that period he retrenched two rak'ahs from nine and began to pray six and seven rak'ahs standing and two rak'ahs sitting. This continued till he died.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Abu Khalid al-Dalani from Habib and Salamah b. Kuhail from Abu Rishdin from Ibn 'Abbas in a similar manner.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night including the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer.

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet (ﷺ) got up to pray at night. He prayed thirteen rak'ahs including two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. I guessed that he stood in every rak'ah as long as one could recite Surah al-Muzzammil (73).

The Prophet (ﷺ) called 'Uthman b. Maz'un. When he came to him, he said: 'Uthman, did you dislike my practice ? He said: No, by Allah, but I seek your practice. He said: I sleep, I pray, I keep fast, I (sometimes) leave fast, and I marry women. Fear Allah, 'Uthman, your wife has a right on you, your guest has a right on you, your self has a right on you ; you should keep fast and (sometimes) leave fast, and pray and sleep.

He used to lead the people in the 'Isha prayer and return to his family and pray four rak'ahs and go to his bed. The narrator then transmitted the tradition in full. This version does not mention the words: "During them (the rak'ahs) he equated all the recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and recitation." This also does not mention the words about the salutation: "Till he almost awakened us."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe the witr prayer with nine rak'ahs. Then he used to pray seven rak'ahs (of witr prayer). He would pray two rak'ahs sitting after the witr in which he would recite the Qur'an (sitting). When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed and prostrated.

Abu Dawud said: These two traditions have been transmitted by Khalid b. 'Abd Allah al-Wasiti. In his version he said: 'Alqamah b. Waqqas said: O mother, how did he pray the two rak'ahs ? He narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

Sa'd ibn Hisham said: I came to Medina and called upon Aisha, and said to her: Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to lead the people in the night prayer, and then go to his bed and sleep. When midnight came he got up, went to answer the call of nature and to perform ablution with water. Having performed ablution, he entered the mosque and prayed eight rak'ahs.

To my mind he performed the recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostrating equally. He then observed witr with one rak'ah and prayed two rak'ahs sitting. Then he lay down on the ground. Sometimes Bilal came to him and called him for prayer. He then dozed, and sometimes I doubted whether he dozed or not, till he (Bilal) called him for prayer.

This is the prayer he offered till he grew old or put on weight. She then mentioned how he put on weight as Allah wished.

I spent a night with the Prophet (ﷺ) to see how he prayed. He got up, performed ablution and prayed two rak'ahs. His standing was like his bowing (i.e. equal in duration), and his bowing was like his prostration (equal in length). Then he slept. Afterwards he awoke, performed ablution, and used tooth-stick. He then recited five verses from Surah Al-'Imran : "In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day". He went on doing so till he prayed ten rak'ahs. He then stood up and prayed one rak'ah observing witr with it. In the meantime the mu'adhdhin called to prayer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up after the mu'adhdhin had kept silent. He prayed two light rak'ahs and remained sitting till he offered the dawn prayer.

Abu Dawud said: A part of the tradition transmitted by Ibn Bashshar remained hidden from me.

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimunah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came after the evening has come. He asked: Did the boy pray ? She said: Yes. Then he lay down till a part of night had passed as much as Allah willed; he got up, performed ablution and prayed seven or five rak'ahs, observing witr with them. He uttered the salutation only in the last of them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs, observing six rak'ahs in pairs including the two rak'ahs of dawn prayer. He would observe witr and five rak'ahs. He sat only in the last of them.