When any one of you enters the mosque, he should observe two rak'ahs (of Nafl prayer) before sitting.

" As Allah pleased."

I went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and found him taking a bath, and Fatimah, his daughter, had provided him privacy with the help of a cloth. I gave him salutation and he said: Who is she? I said: It is Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Greeting for Umm Hani. When he had completed the bath, he stood up and observed eight rak'ahs wrapped up in one cloth. When he turned back (after the prayer), I said to him: Messenger of Allah, the son of my mother 'Ali b. Abu Talib is going to kill a person, Fulan b. Hubaira whom I have given protection. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: We too have given protection whom you have given protection, O Umm Hani. Umm Hani said: It was the forenoon (prayer).

three fasts during every month, two rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer, and observing Witr prayer before going to bed.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Did he recite in them Surah Fatiha (only)?

" Say: O unbelievers," (Qur'an, cix.) and" Say: Allah is one" (cxii.).

" Say: We believed in Allah and what was revealed to us" and that which is found in Surah Al-i-'lmran:" Come to that word (creed) which is common between you and us" (iii. 64).

This hadith has been transmitted by another chain of narrators.

I asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would observe prayer (Nafl) in a standing position as well as in a sitting position, and when he commenced the prayer in a standing position, he bowed in this very position, and when he commenced the prayer in a sitting position, he bowed in this very position.

I asked 'A'isha whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed (Nafl) sitting. She said: Yes, when the people had made him old.

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died (in this very state) that he observed most of his (Nafl) prayers in a sitting position.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) grew bulky and heavy he would observe (most of his Nafl) prayers sitting.

Zuhri reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters, except this that he made a mention of one year or two years.

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night including the two rak'ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer.

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer prayer at night while she lay in front of him, and when the Witr prayer was yet to be observed, he would awaken her and she observed Witr.

I said to 'Umar b. al-Khattab, and the rest of the hadlth is the same.

I asked Ibn 'Abbas: How should I say prayer when I am in Mecca, and when I do not pray along with the Imam? He said: Two rak'ahs (of prayer) is the Sunnah of Abu'l-Qasim (ﷺ).

This hadith has been transmitted by Shu'ba with the same chain of narrators and it is narrated from Simt, and the name of Shurahbil has not been mentioned, and he said that he had gone to a place called Dumin, situated at a distance of eighteen miles from Hims.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Anas by another chain of transmitters.