If anyone wants something from God, or from a human being, he should perform ablution and do it well, then pray two rak'as, then extol God most high and invoke blessing on the Prophet, then say, "There is no god but God, the Clement and Generous. Glory be to God, the Lord of the mighty throne. Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe. I ask Thee for words which will guarantee Thy mercy, actions which will make certain Thy forgiveness, a supply of every virtue, and freedom from every offence. Do not leave me a sin which Thou dost not pardon, a care which Thou dost not remove, or a want that meets with Thy pleasure which Thou dost not supply, O most merciful of the merciful ones.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition.

I remarked to ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that God had said, “You may shorten the prayer,” only “if you fear those who are infidels may afflict you” (Al-Qur’an; 4:101), whereas the people were now safe. He replied that he had wondered about the same matter, so he asked God's Messenger and received the reply, “It is an act of charity which God has done to you, so accept His charity.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that on a journey God’s Messenger would pray on his riding beast in whatever direction it turned, making a sign with his head* in prayer during the night, but not in the obligatory prayers; and he would observe a witr on his riding beast. *To indicate the bowing and the prostration. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I went on an expedition with the Prophet, and I was present with him at the Conquest. He stayed eighteen days in Mecca and prayed only two rak'as [at each time of prayer]. He said, “You who live in the town must pray four; we are travellers.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said, “When travelling I prayed along with the Prophet two rak'as at the noon prayer and two after it.” In a version he said, “I prayed with the Prophet both when resident and when travelling. When resident I prayed along with him four rak'as at the noon prayer and two after it, and when travelling two at it and two after it; two rak'as at the afternoon prayer after which he prayed no more; and both when resident and travelling alike three rak'as at the sunset prayer, in which he never prayed less whether resident or travelling, this being the witr of the daytime. After it he prayed two rak'as.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that God’s Messenger prayed two rak'as in Mina, as did Abu Bakr after his death, ‘Umar after Abu Bakr’s death, and ‘Uthman in the early part of his Caliphate, but afterwards ‘Uthman prayed four. When Ibn ‘Umar prayed with an imam he prayed four, but when he prayed alone he prayed two. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He and Ibn ‘Umar said that God’s Messenger established the practice of praying two rak'as when travelling, they constituting a complete observance and not an abbreviation; and the witr while travelling is a sunna. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Malik said he heard that Ibn ‘Abbas used to shorten the prayer on a journey equivalent to that between Mecca and at-Ta'if, or between Mecca and ‘Usfan, or between Mecca and Judda. Malik said that that was four postal stages. He transmitted it in al-Muwatta’.

Masruq said he asked ‘A’isha what action was most pleasing to God’s Messenger and she replied that it was what one keeps on doing. He asked at what time he got up at night and she said it was at cockcrow. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Shariq al-Hauzani told that he visited ‘A’isha and asked her what God’s Messenger said first when he rose during the night. Replying that he had asked her a question she had never been asked by anyone before, she said that when he rose during the night he said “God is most great” ten times, “Praise be to God” ten times, “Glory be to God, and praise be to him” ten times, “Glory be to the King most holy” ten times, he asked pardon from God ten times, said “There is no god but God” ten times, then said, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from the distress of this world and from the distress of the day of resurrection” ten times, then he began the prayer. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Rabi'a b. Ka‘b al-Aslami said he used to spend the night near the Prophet’s inner chamber and hear him say when he got up during the night, “Glory be to the Lord of the universe" for a long time. Then he would say, “Glory be to God and praise be to Him" for a longtime. Nasa’i transmitted it, and Tirmidhi who has something similar says that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn Mas'ud said that a man was mentioned in the Prophet’s presence, and he was told that he continued sleeping till morning, never having got up to pray. He said, “That is a man in whose ear (or, in whose ears) the devil has urinated.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that he, meaning God’s Messenger, would sleep in the early part of the night and keep awake in the latter part. If he then wished intercourse with his wife he satisfied his desire, and then went to sleep. If he was sexually defiled when the first call to prayer was made, he would get up and pour water on it, but if not, he performed the ablution for the prayer and then prayed two rak'as. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Make a practice of getting up at night, for it was the custom of the pious before you, is a means of bringing you near to your Lord, an atonement for evil deeds and a preventative of sin." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

a man when he gets up at night and prays, a company when they draw up in rows in prayer, and a company when they draw up in ranks to fight the enemy." [Baghawi] transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Amr b. ‘Abasa reported God's Messenger as saying, “The nearest the Lord comes to a servant is in the course of the last part of the night, so if you are able to be among those who make mention of God at that hour, do so." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a hasan sahih tradition whose isnad is gharib.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The acts most pleasing to God are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One should pray as long as he is lively, but when he slackens he should stop.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Should anyone fall asleep and fail to recite his portion of the Qur’an or a part of it, if he recites it between the dawn and the noon prayer it will be recorded for him as though he had recited it during the night.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Umama told of his hearing God’s Messenger say, “If anyone goes to bed in a state of purity and makes mention of God till drowsiness overtakes him, he will not turn round at any time during the night and ask God at that time for some of the good of this world and the next without His giving it to him.” Nawawi mentioned it in Kitab al-adhkar by the transmission of Ibn as-Sunni.