'Umar ordered Ubayy b. Ka'b and Tamim ad-Dari to lead the people in eleven rak'as during the night in Ramadan. The reader was reciting [a sura with over] a hundred verses in each rak'a so that we leaned on our sticks because of standing so long, and we did not depart till the dawn was beginning to break. Malik transmitted it.

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God most high looks down on the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives all His creatures, except a polytheist or one who is hostile.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As. His version has, “except two, one who is hostile and a murderer.”

Umm Hani’ said that the Prophet entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, bathed and prayed eight rak'as, adding, “I never saw a shorter prayer than it, except that he performed the bowing and the prostration completely.” In another version she said, “That was in the forenoon.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

God’s Messenger used to teach us how to ask God’s guidance about matters just as he used to teach as a sura of the Qur’an, saying: When any of you intends to do something he should pray two rak'as which are not compulsory, then say, “O God, I ask Thy guidance by Thy knowledge, I ask Thee for power by Thy power, and I ask Thee out of Thy great abundance, for Thou hast power and I have none, Thou knowest and I did not, and Thou art the One who is aware of the unseen. O God, if Thou knowest that this matter is good for me regarding my religion, my livelihood, and my future wellbeing (or he said, “my affairs in this world and the next”), ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. But if Thou knowest that this matter is bad for me regarding my religion, my livelihood, and my future wellbeing (or he said, “my affairs in this world and the next”), turn it away from me, turn me away from it, ordain good for me wherever it is, then make me pleased with it.” He said that he should name what he required. Bukhari transmitted it.

Haritha b. Wahb al-Khuza‘i said, “God’s Messenger led us in a prayer of two rak'as in Mina when we were more numerous and more secure than we had ever been before.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I accompanied Ibn ‘Umar on the road to Mecca and he led us in two rak'as at the noon prayer, then went to the place where he had alighted and sat down. Seeing some people standing he asked what they were doing, and I replied that they were engaged in glorifying God. He said, “If I had done so I would have perfected my prayer. I accompanied God's Messenger, and he prayed two rak'as and nothing more while on a journey. I also accompanied Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, and they did the same." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger used to combine the noon and the afternoon prayer while travelling, and also to combine the sunset and the evening prayer. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir said, “God’s Messenger sent me on some business, and when I came to him he was praying on his riding-beast towards the east and making the prostration lower than the bowing.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said, “God has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Prophet as four rak'as when resident, two when travelling, and one when danger is present.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “We who are last shall be first on the day of resurrection, although [others] were given the Book before us and we were given it after them. It follows that this was their day which was prescribed for them (meaning Friday), but they disagreed about it and God guided us to it. The people come after us with regard to it, the Jews observing the next day and the Christians the day following that.” (Bukhari and Muslim) In a version by Muslim he said, “We who are last shall be first on the day of resurrection, and we shall be the first to enter paradise although [others] . . .”, and he mentioned something similar up to the end. In another version by him from Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa they reported God’s Messenger as saying at the end of the tradition, “We are the last of the people in this world and shall be the first on the day of resurrection, this being decreed for us before all creatures.”

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was brought into paradise, on it he was expelled from it, and the last hour will take place on no day other than Friday.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim will ask God for what is good without His giving it to him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) Muslim added that he said it is a short period. In a version by both of them he said, “There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim will stand and pray asking God for what is good without His giving him it.”

and if anyone makes proper use of a thousand verses he will be recorded among those who receive huge rewards.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet’s recitation at night was partly in a loud voice and partly in a low voice. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said the Prophet’s recitation was loud enough for one who was in the inner chamber to hear it when he was in the house. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Dharr said that God’s Messenger kept awake during the night till morning reciting one verse, which was, “If Thou punishest them they are Thy servants; and if Thou forgivest them Thou art the Mighty, the Wise”(Al-Qur’an; 5:118).Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas said, “We never wanted to see God’s Messenger praying at night without doing so, and we never wanted to see him sleeping without doing so.”**The tradition most probably means that he Prophet did not go to extremes in religious observances.Nasa'i transmitted it.

Humaid b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf said that one of the companions of the Prophet told how he decided when he was on a journey along with God’s Messenger that he must watch his prayer to see how he conducted it. When he had prayed the evening prayer, which is the 'atama, he lay down for a long period during the night, then awoke, looked at the horizon and said, “Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain…verily Thou dost not break Thy promise” (Al-Qur’an; 3:191,194). Then God's Messenger went to his couch from which he took out a toothstick, then poured out some water into a bowl from a skin vessel beside him, cleaned his teeth, and stood up and prayed, till it appeared to me that he prayed as long as he had slept. Then he lay down till it appeared to me that he slept as long as he had prayed. Then awakening and doing as he did the first time, he said the same as he had said. He did that three times before the dawn. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ya'la b. Mamlak said he asked Umm Salama, the Prophet’s wife, about his recitation and prayer. She Said, “What have you to do with his prayer? He would pray, then sleep as long as he had prayed, then pray as long as he had slept, then sleep as long as he had prayed, till morning.” She then described his recitation and did so with an exposition word by word. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Al-Mughira said that the Prophet got up at night to such an extent that his feet became swollen. On being asked why he did this when his former and latter sins had been forgiven him, he replied, “Should I not be a grateful servant?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)