Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that I spent a night at the house of Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) got up, and after fulfilling his natural needs, he washed his face and then washed both his hands, and then he lay down again. After that, he stood up and went to the water-skin and opened its mouth, then performed a moderate ablution (neither with excess nor with too little water, washing each part three times), but made sure the water reached everywhere. Then he prayed. I also stood up and remained behind him, because I did not want the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to think that I was waiting for him. I had also performed ablution. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to pray, I stood on his left side, but he took hold of my ear and made me stand on his right side. I completed thirteen rak‘ahs of prayer following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). After that, he lay down and his breathing became audible. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to sleep, his breathing would become audible. After that, Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him of the prayer, so he prayed without performing a new ablution. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his supplication: O Allah, place light in my heart, place light in my sight, place light in my hearing, place light on my right, place light on my left, place light above me, place light beneath me, place light in front of me, place light behind me, and grant me light. Kurayb (the narrator of the hadith) said that there were seven (mentions of light) in the chest. Then I met a son of Sayyiduna Abbas, and he told me about them, saying: my sinews, my flesh, my blood, my hair, and my skin (fill all of them with light), and he mentioned two more things.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I spent one night in the house of the purified wife of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), my maternal aunt, Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her). I lay down across the pillow (i.e., at the edge), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his wife lay down lengthwise on the pillow as usual. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) slept, and when half the night had passed, or a little before or after it, he woke up and began to rub his eyes with his hands to remove the effects of sleep. Then he recited the last ten verses of Surah Al-Imran. Then he stood up and went to a water-skin that was hanging (from the ceiling), and performed ablution from it thoroughly. Then he stood up and did as he had performed ablution. Then I went and stood at his blessed side. He placed his right hand on my head and took hold of my right ear and began to twist it. Then he prayed two rak‘ahs. After that, he prayed another two rak‘ahs, then another two rak‘ahs, then another two rak‘ahs, and after that he prayed one rak‘ah of witr and lay down. Then when the mu’adhdhin came to him, he got up and prayed two light rak‘ahs. Then he went out and led the morning prayer.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the night prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to be thirteen rak‘ahs.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would get up at night to perform Tahajjud, he would say: O Allah, all praise is for You, for You are the Light of the heavens and the earth. All praise is for You, for You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth. All praise is for You, for You are the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them. You are true, Your promise is true, and Your word is true, and meeting You is true, Paradise is true, and Hell is true, all the Prophets are true, and the Hour is true. O Allah, I have submitted to You, I have believed in You, I have put my trust in You, I have turned to You, I have argued before You, and I seek judgment from You. So forgive me for all my past and future sins, those I have committed secretly and those I have committed openly. You are my God; there is no god but You.