Umm al-Mu'mineen Sayyidah Hafsah bint Umar (may Allah be pleased with her), the blessed wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performing voluntary prayers while sitting. But only one or two years before the passing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I saw him performing prayer while sitting, in which he would recite the surah with measured recitation, and it would become longer and longer.