Ibn Abbas (RA) reported: I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) got up for observing voluntary prayer (Tahajjud) at night. The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) stood by the water-skin and performed ablution and then stood up and prayed. I also got up when I saw him doing that. I also performed ablution from the water-skin and then stood at his left side. He took hold of my hand from behind his back and then turned me from his back to his right side. I ('Ata', one of the narrators) said: Did it concern the voluntary prayer (at night)? He ('Ibn 'Abbas) said: Yes.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: (My father) Abbas sent me to the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and he was in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna and spent that night along with him. He (the Holy Prophet) got up and prayed at night, and I stood up on his left side. He caught hold of me from behind his back and made me stand on his right side.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna, and the rest of the hadith is the same as narrated above.

Abu Jamra reported: I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) observed thirteen rak'ahs at night.

Zaid b Khalid al-Juhani said: I would definitely watch at night the prayer observed by the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) . He prayed two short rak'ahs, then two long, long, long rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding, then observed a single one (Witr), making a total of thirteen rak'ahs

Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported: I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) in a journey and we reached a watering place. He said: Jabir, are you going to enter it? I said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) then got down and I entered it. He (the Holy Prophet) then went away to relieve himself and I placed for him water for ablution. He then came back and performed ablution, and then stood and prayed in one garment, having its ends tied from the opposite sides. I stood. behind him and he caught hold of my ear and made me stand on his right side.

'A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) stood up at night to pray, he began his prayer with two short rak'ahs.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported Allah's Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as saying When any one of you gets up at night, he should begin the prayer with two short rak'ahs.

Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that when the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) got up during the night to pray, he used to say: O Allah, to Thee be the praise Thou art the light of the heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Supporter of the heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is therein. Thou art the Truth; Thy promise is True, the meeting with Thee is True. Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Hour is true. O Allah, I submit to Thee; affirm my faith in Thee; repose my trust in Thee, and I return to Thee for repentance; by Thy help I have disputed; and to Thee I have come for decision, so forgive me my earlier and later sins, the sins that I committed in secret and openly. Thou art my God. There is no god but Thee.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas through another chain of transmitters and with slight alteration of two words. Instead of the word Qayyam (Supporter, as used in the above hadith here the word) Qayyim (the Custodian) has been used, and he (further said):" What I did in secret." And in the hadith narrated by Ibn 'Uyaina there is some addition.