Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you goes to sleep the devil ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing every knot with, ‘You have a long night, so sleep’. So if one awakes and mentions God a knot will be loosened, if he performs ablution a knot will be loosened, and if he prays a knot will be loosened, and in the morning he will be active and in good spirits; otherwise he will be in bad spirits and sluggish in the morning.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told of a man who came to the Prophet and said, “So and so prays at night, and when morning comes he steals.” He replied, “What you say will restrain him.” Ahmad and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that his father ‘Umar b. al-Khattab used to pray during the night what God wished, then during the latter part of the night he woke his family for prayer saying to them, “Come to prayer.” Then he would recite this verse, “And command your family to observe the prayer, and be constant in it. We do not ask you for provision; We provide you, and the issue pertains to piety” (Al-Qur'an; 20:132).Malik transmitted it.

He said he asked the Prophet about a man who prays sitting, and he replied, “If he prays standing that is more excellent; but one who prays sitting has half the reward of one who stands, and one who prays lying down has half the reward of one who sits.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Salim b. Abul Ja'd told of a man of Khuza'a saying, “I wish I had prayed and been at rest.” When the people seemed to disapprove of his saying that, he replied that he had heard God’s Messenger say, “Declare that the time for prayer has come, Bilal, and give us rest by it.”* * This probably means that prayer brings peace of mind.Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet as saying, "Hasten to pray a witr before morning.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God is single (witr) and loves what is single, so observe the witr, you who follow the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the witr, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality.Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Zaid b. Aslam reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you oversleeps and misses his witr, he should observe it in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it in mursal form.

God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the witr. They were, “O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted art Thou, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Buraida said he heard God’s Messenger say, “The witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Nafi' said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in Mecca when the sky was cloudy and he was afraid the morning might have come, so he observed a witr with one rak'a. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying one rak'a; then he prayed series of two rak'as, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed a witr with one.” Malik transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to pray sitting, and would recite the Qur’an while sitting; then when about thirty or forty verses of his recitation remained he stood up and recited while standing. Then he bowed, then he prostrated himself, and after that he did the same kind of thing in the second rak'a. Muslim transmitted it.

Thauban reported the Prophet as saying, “This wakefulness is a toil and a burden, so when one of you observes a witr he should pray two rak'as. If he gets up during the night, well and good; otherwise they will serve for him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you performs the prayer in his mosque he should leave a portion of his prayer for his house, for God blesses his house because of his prayer.” Muslim transmitted it.

I'heard Ubayy say, “We used to finish night prayers in Ramadan and ask the servants to hurry up with the food, for fear we would miss the meal before dawn.” In another version he said, “for fear the dawn would come.” Malik transmitted it.

They well know that prayer at another time than this is more excellent. God’s Messenger said, “The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when the young weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.”* * Young camels are said to feel the sand too hot when a quarter of the day has passed.Muslim transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone prays twelve rak'as in the forenoon God will build for him a castle of gold in paradise.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Tirmidhi said, “This is a gharib tradition which I know only by this line of transmission.”

Abu Huraira reported that God's Messenger said to Bilal at the dawn prayer, “Tell me, Bilal, of the action you have done since becoming a Muslim which is most calculated to cause hope in you, for I heard the sound of your sandals in front of me in paradise.” He replied, “I have done no action more calculated, in my opinion to cause hope than that I have never performed ablution at any hour of the night or day without immediately praying what was ordained for me to pray.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Buraida told how one morning God’s Messenger called Bilal and said, "What did you do to get to paradise before me? I have never entered paradise without hearing the rustling of your garments in front of me.” He replied, "Messenger of God, I have never called the adhan without praying two rak'as, and no impurity has ever happened to me without my performing ablution on the spot and thinking that I owed God two rak'as.” God’s Messenger said, "It is because of them.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.