Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone wakes up at night, he should begin by performing two short rak‘ahs."

Abu Wa'il narrates: Once, after we had performed the morning prayer, we went to the service of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). We greeted him at the door, and he permitted us to enter. We waited for a little while. The maid came out and asked: Why are you not coming inside? The narrator says: We went inside, and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting and reciting tasbih. He said: When you were given permission, why did you not come in? They said: We thought that perhaps some members of the household might be sleeping. Sayyiduna Abdullah said: You assumed negligence about the household of Umm Abd, then he turned again to reciting tasbih. Until, when he thought that the sun must have risen, he said: O girl, go and see, has the sun risen? The narrator says: The girl looked and it had indeed risen, so Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "All praise is due to Allah, who has granted us this day as well." The narrator named Mahdi has stated this, and I think, in the narration, these words are also present: "He has not destroyed us because of our sins." One of those present requested: Last night I recited all the Mufassal verses. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is like reciting poetry quickly. I remember those surahs that are close to each other, which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite. They are eighteen surahs from the Mufassal surahs and two surahs from the Ha-Meem group.

Sayyiduna Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: He thought, tonight I will observe the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He says: I sat leaning against the door (perhaps these are the words) outside the tent of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and performed two short rak‘ahs, then he performed two rak‘ahs which were long, then he performed two rak‘ahs which were a little shorter than the previous two rak‘ahs, then he performed two rak‘ahs which were a little shorter than the two before them, then he performed two rak‘ahs which were a little shorter than those two rak‘ahs, then he performed Witr, making a total of thirteen rak‘ahs.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One night I performed prayer behind the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began reciting Surah Al-Baqarah. I thought he would bow after reciting one hundred verses, but he continued reciting. I thought he would complete the Surah in two rak‘ahs, but he continued reciting. I thought he would finish the Surah and then bow, but he continued reciting until he started reciting Surah An-Nisa’, then he also recited Surah Aal-e-Imran. Then he bowed and remained in bowing for almost as long as he had stood, and during it he kept saying Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Azim. Then he raised his head and recited «سمع اللہ لمن حمده» , «ربنا ولك الحمد» , then he stood for a long time, then he went into prostration and prolonged the prostration, and in prostration he kept saying «سبحان ربی الاعلیٰ» . (During this recitation) whenever he recited a verse mentioning fear or expressing greatness, he would mention it.

Lady Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would remain in prostration for as long as it takes a person to recite fifty verses. The narrator states: Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) meant that he used to do this in the voluntary night prayer.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen rak‘ahs at night.

Lady Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to perform eleven rak'ahs from after the 'Isha prayer, which people call 'Atamah, until Fajr. He would say salam after every two rak'ahs. He would perform Witr with a single rak'ah. When the muezzin would finish giving the adhan for Fajr and the true dawn had appeared and the muezzin would come, he (the Prophet) would get up and perform two short rak'ahs, then he would lie down on his right side until the muezzin would come to call him.

Sayyiduna Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman narrates: He asked Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), "How was the voluntary prayer of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Ramadan?" Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: The Prophet (peace be upon him) would not pray more than eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan or outside of Ramadan.

Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer eleven rak‘ahs at night; this was his regular prayer. He would perform such a long prostration in it that it would last as long as it takes one of you to recite fifty verses. And he used to offer two rak‘ahs before Fajr, then he would lie down on his right side until the muezzin would come to call him for prayer.

Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer nine (nafl) units of prayer at night.