´It was narrated that ‘Asim bin Humaid said:` “I asked ‘Aishah: ‘With what did the Prophet (ﷺ) start voluntary prayers?’ She said: ‘You have asked me about something which no one has asked before. He used to say Allahu Akbar ten times, and Al-Hamdu Lillah ten times and Subhan Allah ten times, and he would say Allahumma aghfirli wahdini, warzuqni, wa ‘afini (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and give me good health),” and he would seek refuge from the difficulty of the standing on the Day of Resurrection.”
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefit:
The meaning of seeking refuge from (ḍīq al-muqām) is: O Allah! When, on the Day of Resurrection, I am presented before You to give an account of the deeds of my life,
at that time, let it not become difficult—grant that I may be relieved from the reckoning with ease.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1356
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1618. Commentary: The beginning of the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) means that when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would rise for tahajjud, he used to recite these supplications before the tahajjud prayer. Among these (previous and forthcoming) supplications, there are many such supplications which, apparently, were not necessary for him, but he recited them for the instruction of his ummah, because for the members of the ummah, they are in any case needed. It can be said that his supplications were, in reality, for his ummah. (Apart from those supplications which were specific to him.)
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1618
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
(1) The purpose of the Imam, rahimahullah, is to indicate that this chain of narration is disconnected; however, the narration itself is authentic because the chain of narration in the following narration is also disconnected. And Allah knows best.
(2) "Which is not accepted"—the intent is: O Allah, protect me from those faults due to which supplication (du'a) is not accepted, such as unlawful sustenance (haram rizq), lack of sincerity, supplicating for something impermissible, etc. (For further details, see Hadith: Hadith number: 5444)
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 5538