The prayer of our master the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Jibril (peace be upon him) said to me: "Prayer has been made beloved to you, so take of it as much as you wish."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it; its chain contains Ali bin Yazid, and there is criticism concerning him; the rest of its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Before he passed away, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept devoting himself to worship and withdrew from women, until he (peace and blessings be upon him) became like a worn-out waterskin.
Al-Bazzar recorded it as a narration of Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman bin Safinah, from his father, from his grandfather; I did not find anyone who mentioned these two. Its chain contains Muhammad bin al-Hajjaj, about whom Yahya bin Ma'in said: He is not thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: One day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with the people around him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has made for every prophet something he delights in, and what I delight in is standing in prayer at night. When I stand to pray, let no one stand (in prayer) behind me. And Allah Almighty has given every prophet a provision, and my provision is this one-fifth (khums). When I pass away, it will go to those in authority after me."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain mentions that it was narrated by Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Kaysan (from his father). Abu Hatim declared him (Ishaq) weak, and his father was declared thiqah (trustworthy) by Yahya bin Ma'in, while Abu Hatim and others declared him da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand (in voluntary prayer) for so long that his (peace and blessings be upon him) feet (the narrator is in doubt; perhaps the words are:) his (peace and blessings be upon him) shins would become swollen. It was said to him (peace and blessings be upon him) about this: "Has Allah Almighty not forgiven your past and future sins?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Should I not be a grateful servant?"
Abu Ya'la, al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would keep praying (voluntary prayer) at night until his feet became swollen. It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allah Almighty has forgiven your past and future sins." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Should I not be a grateful servant?
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Abd al-Rahman bin Uthman, and he is weak, though Ibn Hibban declared him thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray (such long voluntary prayers at night) that his (peace and blessings be upon him) feet would become swollen. It was said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah! You do this, when it has already come to you from Allah Almighty that He has forgiven your past and future sins?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Should I not be a grateful servant of my Lord? (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated part of it.
Al-Bazzar recorded it with various chains, and the narrators of one of them are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would keep praying voluntary prayers at night until his feet swelled. It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! Has Allah Almighty not forgiven your past and future sins?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Should I not be a grateful servant?
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Sulayman bin al-Hakam, and he is weak. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in the book al-Thiqat and said: He sometimes made mistakes. Al-Uqayli narrated from him, and he used to claim that he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray (long voluntary prayers at night) until his feet became swollen. It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! Has Allah Almighty not forgiven your past and future sins?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Should I not be a grateful servant?
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains Abu Qatadah al-Harrani, whom Ahmad and Yahya bin Ma'in, according to one report, declared thiqah (trustworthy), while a group declared him weak.

Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to use the tooth-stick (miswak) two or three times during the night. When he got up to offer the night prayer, he would pray four rak'ahs in such a way that he did not speak in between and did not give any instruction, but he would say the salam after every two rak'ahs.
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Wasil bin al-Sa'ib, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray sixteen rak'ahs at night, apart from the obligatory prayer.
Abdullah bin Ahmad recorded it in his "Ziyadat" (additions), and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had offered the Isha prayer, he would afterwards pray four rak'ahs and perform one witr; he would offer this after his night prayer.
Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Nafi' bin Thabit (Nafi''s father is Thabit), and Thabit is the son of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both); Ibn Hibban mentioned him in the book "al-Thiqat". Nafi' did not hear from his grandfather Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both), nor did he live in his time; he narrated from his father Thabit.

Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I was travelling with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and one night I observed his voluntary night prayer. He offered the Isha prayer, then he slept. When half the night had passed, he woke up and recited the last ten verses of Surah Al Imran. Then he used the tooth-stick, then he performed ablution, then he stood and prayed two rak'ahs, about which I could not tell whether his standing, his bowing or his prostration was longer. Then he finished the prayer, then he slept, then he did the same again; he kept on doing just as he had done the first time, until he had prayed eleven rak'ahs.
Abdullah bin Ahmad and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Ja'far, the father of Ali bin al-Madini, and he is da'if (weak).

It is reported about Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) that it was mentioned before her that some people recite the whole Qur'an once or twice in a single night. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Those people have recited and yet have not recited. I used to stand in voluntary prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the whole night, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite Surah al-Baqarah, Surah Al Imran and Surah al-Nisa' in it. Whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited a verse containing a warning, he would supplicate to Allah Almighty and seek refuge from that thing; and whenever he recited a verse containing glad tidings, he would supplicate to Allah Almighty and express his longing for it."
Ahmad recorded it. In his version he recorded these words: "One of them recites the Qur'an twice or three times."
Abu Ya'la also recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, and he has been criticised.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would keep (voluntary) fasts continuously, until we would think that he would now not leave off voluntary fasting; and at times he would leave off voluntary fasting, until we would think that he would now not keep voluntary fasts. Every night he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah Bani Isra'il and Surah al-Zumar. Allamah al-Haythami says: I say:
This narration is reported in the "Sahih", except that it does not contain these words: "He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surah Bani Isra'il and Surah al-Zumar."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: At the time of al-Hudaybiyah we were coming along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), until we halted at a place called "al-Suqya". Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Who will fetch water for us in our water-skins?" So I went out with some young men of the Ansar until we came to the water that is at a place called "al-Uthayah"; between the two places there was a distance of about thirteen miles. We filled our water-skins with water, until, when it was after nightfall, there was a man whose camel was pulling him toward the trough. He said: "Let us water (our mount)." And it was the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He watered his camel; then I took hold of the rein of his she-camel and made it kneel. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood and offered the Isha prayer. Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he stood at the side of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed thirteen rak'ahs.
Allamah al-Haythami says: I say: This narration is reported in the "Sahih" in abridged form.
Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar (in abridged form) recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Shurahbil bin Sa'd; Ibn Hibban declared him thiqah (trustworthy), and a group declared him da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in one rak'ah of the voluntary night prayer, reciting this: 'La ilaha illa anta' (There is no god but You)."
Ahmad recorded it.

Jasrah bint Dajajah narrates that she set out to perform Umrah and reached "al-Rabadhah", and (she said): I heard Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrating: One night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and began leading the people in prayer, and his Companions kept praying behind him. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them standing and remaining behind, he went to his house. Then, when he saw that the people had left the place, he came back to his place and prayed. I stood behind him to pray, and he gestured to me with his right hand, so I came and stood on his right side. Then Abdullah bin Mas'ud came and stood behind me and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured to him to come to the left side, so he stood on the left side of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So the three of us stood praying in such a way that each one of us was praying individually and reciting whatever portion of the Qur'an he wished to recite. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept reciting one verse of the Qur'an and repeating it. When he had offered the Fajr prayer, I gestured to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what his purpose was in what he had done the previous night. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I will not ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about anything until he himself tells me." So I said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You kept reciting one verse of the Qur'an, though you know so much more of the Qur'an? If one of us were to do this, we would show displeasure with him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was supplicating for my Ummah." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Then what answer were you given?" (Here the narrator is in doubt about one word.) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The answer I was given is such that, if people came to know of it, many people would abandon prayer altogether." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Shall I not give the people these glad tidings?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Very well." He had gone only a short distance, about as far as a stone goes when it is thrown, when Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! You are sending this to the people; they will abandon worship and rely on this alone." So he called out loudly to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him): "Come back!" And he came back. That verse (which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had been reciting) was: "If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, then indeed You are the Almighty, the Wise."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) recorded part of this narration: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept repeating a single verse until morning came.
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept repeating a single verse over and over until morning came.
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Salm al-Naji; I have not found anyone who has written his biography.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Whenever I came early at midday (for the prayer), I found the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) praying, having divided Surah al-Baqarah over two rak'ahs.
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Layth bin Abi Sulaym; he is thiqah (trustworthy), but he is a mudallis (one who obscures his sources).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to divide Surah al-Baqarah over two rak'ahs.
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt something (i.e. an ailment). When morning came, it was said: "O Messenger of Allah! The signs of ill health are visible on you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Even in this state that you see, last night I recited the seven long surahs."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying in his chamber. Some of his Companions came and began praying following him. The narrator says: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into the house, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) came out; this happened several times, and each time he would pray. When morning came, the people said: "O Messenger of Allah! We prayed following you (peace and blessings be upon him), and we wished that you (peace and blessings be upon him) had lengthened your prayer." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I knew of your presence, but I did that deliberately (i.e. I did not lead you in prayer)."
Abu Ya'la and al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to use the tooth-stick two or three times during the night. Whenever he slept and then woke up, he would use the tooth-stick, perform ablution, and pray two rak'ahs or one rak'ah.
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Bakr al-Madini, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy), while Yahya bin Ma'in and a group called him da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the last ten verses of Surah Al Imran every night.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Muzahir bin Aslam, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy), while Yahya bin Ma'in and a group called him da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would offer the Isha prayer, then he would pray seven rak'ahs in the mosque before returning home. He would say the salam after every two rak'ahs, and he would pray three rak'ahs of witr. After the first two rak'ahs of witr he would sit for the tashahhud, and then when it was time to say the salam he would also sit for the tashahhud. In the witr he would recite the Mu'awwidhat. When he came home, he would pray two rak'ahs and then sleep. Then, when he woke up, he would recite: "All praise belongs to Allah, who gave me sleep in well-being and woke me in well-being." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head toward the sky and reflect, then recite: "Our Lord, You have not created this in vain. Glory be to You! So protect us from the punishment of the Fire." He (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite these verses until he reached: "Indeed, You do not break the promise." Then he would perform ablution, then stand and pray two rak'ahs in which he made the recitation, the bowing and the prostration long, and in which he supplicated abundantly, so much so that I would fall asleep and then wake up again. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would finish the prayer, lie down and sleep. Then he would get up, and then he would recite the same supplication as he had recited the first time. Then he would stand and pray two rak'ahs that were longer than the first two rak'ahs, and in them he would humble himself more and seek forgiveness more, so much so that I would think: Will he ever finish this prayer? This would continue until the end of the night. Then he would finish the prayer and sleep for a little while, and I would wonder whether he had slept or not, until the mu'adhdhin came to him. He would then recite words like those he had recited the first time. Then he would sit and call for the tooth-stick, use the tooth-stick and perform ablution, then pray two brief rak'ahs (which were the two sunnah rak'ahs of Fajr). Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) would go out for the prayer. Thus his prayer was thirteen rak'ahs. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Narrations from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) other than this one are reported in the "Sahih".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, and he has been criticised.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was praying. I stood behind him and began praying following him, and he did not know about it. He began reciting Surah al-Baqarah, and I thought he would go into bowing after a little while, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) kept on reciting. Here the narrator named Sinan stated: To my knowledge the narration also contains these words: He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed four rak'ahs, and his bowing too was (as long) as his standing. The narrator says: I mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you not tell me?" Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By the One who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, I still feel (pain from that long standing) in my back even now." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had I known that you were standing behind me, I would have made the prayer short." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Part of the beginning of this narration is reported in the "Sahih".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Sinan bin Harun al-Burjumi. Yahya bin Ma'in says: Sinan bin Harun is the brother of Sayf, and of the two Sinan is in the better state. On another occasion he said: Sinan is more thiqah (trustworthy) than Sayf. Others besides Yahya bin Ma'in declared him da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: I spent the night at the house of my maternal aunt, Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up, he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked for water and performed ablution. Then he recited these verses: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth" and recited them to the end of the surah. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) began reciting Surah al-Baqarah; he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited it letter by letter until he completed the whole surah. Then he went into bowing and said: 'Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim' (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent). Then he went into prostration and said: 'Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la' (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High). Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and, between the two prostrations, said: "O my Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, provide for me, and keep me steadfast on guidance." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and recited Surah Al Imran in the second rak'ah. Then he bowed and prostrated, and did just as he had done in the first rak'ah. Then he lay down. Then he got up and did just as he had done in the first two rak'ahs; he recited letter by letter, until he had prayed eight rak'ahs, lying down after every two rak'ahs. Then he prayed three rak'ahs of witr, then he prayed the two rak'ahs of Fajr (i.e. the sunnah). After that the narrator mentioned the rest of the hadith.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Ubayd bin Ishaq al-Attar, whom Yahya bin Ma'in and others declared da'if (weak); as for Abu Hatim, he was satisfied with him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave my father a young she-camel as a gift. My father considered it too young, and he said to me: "Take it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); present yourself before him (peace and blessings be upon him) and say: 'We are people who work; if you have an older she-camel than this, then send it to us.'" I brought that she-camel to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O son of my paternal uncle! Take it to the camels of sadaqah." I took it there. Then I came to him in the mosque and offered the Isha prayer behind him. He said: "Will you not stay the night with your maternal aunt tonight, since evening has already come?" And it happened that that night was her night with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I came to the house of Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her); she gave me food and spread out for me a cloak folded in four. I thought: I will observe how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) acts at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came into the house, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Maymunah!" She said: "O Messenger of Allah! Here I am." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Has your nephew come to you?" She said: "Yes! He is here." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you had something, you should have given it to him to eat." Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I have done so." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you spread something out for him?" Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Yes!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned aside from the bedding and lay down; he did not lie on it, but lay down beside it and placed his head on the bedding. Some time passed, and I heard him begin to breathe heavily in sleep. I thought: He has now fallen asleep and will not offer voluntary prayers tonight. Then, by my estimate, when a quarter or a third of the night had passed, he got up. He came to his tooth-stick and his ablution water and began using the tooth-stick, until I heard the sound of his teeth under the tooth-stick, while he was reciting these verses: "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth".
Then he put down the tooth-stick, got up, went to the water-skin and opened it. At first I intended to get up and pour the water for his (peace and blessings be upon him) ablution, but then I feared that he (peace and blessings be upon him) might leave off some part of his practice (because of me). When he had performed ablution, he came to his place of prayer and prayed four rak'ahs. In each rak'ah he recited about fifty verses, and he made the bowing and prostration long in them. Then he came back to the place where he had been before, lay down there gently, and began to breathe heavily in his sleep. I thought: He will now not offer voluntary prayers tonight until morning comes. When a third of the night, or half of it, or about that much, had passed, he did the same again: he came to his place of prayer and prayed four rak'ahs in the same way. Then he came to his lying place, reclined there, and began to breathe heavily in his sleep. I thought: Sleep has now overtaken him, and he will not get up until morning. But when a sixth of the night, or a little less, remained, he got up, used the tooth-stick, and performed ablution. Then he recited Surah al-Fatihah, then recited Surah al-A'la, then went into bowing and prostrated. Then he stood up, recited Surah al-Fatihah and recited Surah al-Ikhlas, then he recited the Qunut supplication, then he bowed, and then went into prostration (i.e. he offered the witr). When he had finished, he sat, until, when true dawn broke, he called me. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Here I am." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Get up! By Allah, you were not asleep." I got up, performed ablution and prayed behind him. He recited Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Ikhlas, then he went into bowing and into prostration. Then he stood for the second rak'ah and recited Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Kafirun. After this the narrator mentioned the rest of the hadith. Part of it is reported in the "Sahih".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Ata' bin Salim al-Khaffaf. Ibn Hibban declared him thiqah (trustworthy), while others said: He is da'if (weak); he was a righteous man, but he buried his books, so his hadith is not firmly established.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that his father sent him to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on some errand. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I found the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sitting with his Companions in the mosque, and I was not able to speak with him (peace and blessings be upon him). When he had offered the Maghrib prayer, he got up and he (peace and blessings be upon him) began offering voluntary prayers, until the people present in the mosque had gone away. He too went to his house, and I followed him. When he sensed my footsteps, he asked: "Who is it?" I said: "Ibn Abbas." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "The cousin of the Messenger of Allah?" I said: "The cousin of the Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Welcome to the cousin of the Messenger of Allah!"
Allamah al-Haythami says: I say: After this the narrator mentioned a hadith similar to the one reported in the "Sahih".
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray eight rak'ahs at night, whose bowing and prostrations were as (long as) their recitation, and he would say the salam after every two rak'ahs.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Junadah bin Marwan, whom Abu Hatim held suspect (muttaham).

Nafi' bin Khalid al-Khuza'i narrates: My father narrated to me that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying in a place where people were watching, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would complete the bowing and prostration, but would offer a brief prayer.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Ibn Hibban mentioned the narrator Nafi' in the book "al-Thiqat", and the rest of its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah bin al-Hakam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: After this he narrated a narration similar to the one reported by Malik, concerning the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): that he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed eleven rak'ahs and lay down on his right side.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy); some of them have been criticised in a way that does no harm.

Sayyiduna al-Hajjaj bin Ghaziyyah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), says: You people think that when someone keeps offering voluntary prayers at night and prays continuously until morning, he has offered tahajjud. Rather, the one who offers tahajjud is the one who prays after sleeping for a while, and then prays again after sleeping for a while. This is how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to be.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. It is reported with a sahih (authentic) chain, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna al-Hajjaj bin Amr al-Mazini (may Allah be pleased with him) says: One of you thinks that whoever prays continuously until morning has offered tahajjud. Rather, tahajjud is that one prays after sleeping, and then prays again after sleeping. This was the manner of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer.
Al-Tabarani recorded part of it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Some versions contain these words: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer tahajjud after sleeping (and waking up), and he used to use the tooth-stick before offering tahajjud. This narration revolves around Abdullah bin Salih, the scribe of al-Layth. Abd al-Malik bin Shu'ayb bin al-Layth said about him: He is thiqah (trustworthy) and reliable; Ahmad and others declared him da'if (weak).