night, and she replied, "He used at various times to say them in seven and nine and eleven rakʿahs, besides the two rakʿahs which he made in the morning."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'He went to sleep near the Apostle of God. Then the Apostle of God awoke and cleaned his teeth and performed the ablutions, saying as he did so, "Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth," until he finished the chapter. Then he rose up and prayed in two rakʿahs, and in these he prolonged the standing and the bowing and the prostrations. After that he turned away and went to sleep until he snored. He did that three times; six rakʿahs in all. In each of those he cleaned his teeth and performed the ablutions and recited those verses. Then he repeated the witr prayers three times.'—Muslim.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that she said, 'When the Apostle of God grew corpulent and heavy, most of his prayers were said sitting.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that 'The recital of the prayers of the Prophet at night was sometimes in a loud voice, and sometimes in a low voice.'—Abú Dáud.
On What is to be Said in the Night Prayers
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that he said, 'When the Prophet rose at night to keep the night watch he used to say, "O God, to Thee be the praise. Thou art the Founder of the heavens and the earth and of whatsoever is therein, and to Thee be the praise. Thou art the Light of the heavens and the earth and of whatsoever is therein. And to Thee be the praise. Thou art the King of the heavens and the earth and of whatsoever is therein. To Thee be the praise. Thou art the Truth, and Thy promise is true, and the meeting with Thee is true, and Thy word is true, and paradise is true, and the fire is true, and the prophets are true, and Muḥammad is true, and the hour (of resurrection) is true. O God, to Thee I resign myself, and in Thee I place my faith, and upon Thee I put my trust, and to Thee shall I return, and with Thee (as Helper) do I fight, and to Thee I make my plaint. Therefore, forgive me (the sins) which I have committed heretofore, and those which I shall commit hereafter, and those which I have concealed, and those which I have committed openly, and those which Thou
