(Second chain) Ibrahim says: I asked Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). She said: I did not see him giving preference to one night over another night.

It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform prayer at night. When he finished his prayer, he would lie down, but if I was awake, he would talk with me, and if I was asleep, he would also sleep, until the muezzin would come to him (peace and blessings be upon him).

Muslim bin Mukhrāq says: I said to Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): O Mother of the Believers! Indeed, there are some people among whom some recite the Qur’an two or three times in one night. She said: These are the people who, even after reciting, have not truly recited. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand in prayer for the whole night, then he would be able to recite Surah Al-Baqarah, Surah Aal-e-Imran, and Surah An-Nisa, and even in that, whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) would come across a verse containing glad tidings, he would supplicate to Allah and express desire, and whenever he would come across a verse containing warning, he would supplicate to Allah and seek His protection.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mutlib that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Prayer is in sets of two rak‘ahs; after every two rak‘ahs, recite the tashahhud, express humility and poverty, and raise your hands and say: O Allah! O Allah! (then make your supplication), and whoever does not do so, his prayer will be incomplete. Shu‘bah says: I asked, does it mean his prayer will be incomplete? He replied: Yes. Then I asked him: What is meant by iqna‘? He explained its meaning by spreading his hands as if he was making supplication.

(Second chain) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mutlib bin Rabee’ah that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The night prayer is in sets of two rak’ahs, and when any of you prays, he should sit for tashahhud after every two rak’ahs. Then he should supplicate with insistence; when he makes du’a, he should show humility, adopt a state of neediness, and express weakness. Whoever does not do so is deficient or like one who is deficient.

(The third chain) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Prayer is in sets of two rak‘ahs, and you should sit for tashahhud after every two rak‘ahs and say salam, … .) Then a hadith similar to the previous one was narrated.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: When any one of you stands to pray at night, he should begin his standing with two light rak‘ahs.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who is narrating the incident of returning from the Battle of Hudaybiyyah, says: Then I took hold of the reins of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) she-camel and made it sit down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and performed the ‘Isha prayer. At that time, Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) was at the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) side. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed thirteen units (rak‘at) of prayer.

Sayyiduna Safwan bin Mu’attal Salmi (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey. I observed his prayer at night. He performed the ‘Isha prayer and then slept. When half the night had passed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up and recited the last ten verses of Surah Al-Imran. Then he used the miswak, performed ablution, and prayed two rak‘ahs. I do not know whether his standing, bowing, or prostration was longer in them. Then, after finishing the prayer, he slept. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) kept waking up repeatedly and kept doing as he did the first time, until a total of eleven rak‘ahs were completed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would use the miswak two or three times at night, and when he would get up at night to pray, he would perform four rak‘ahs, in which he would neither speak nor give any command regarding anything, and after every two rak‘ahs he would say salam.