“Determined to contemplate the ritual prayer of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) intently, for I laid my head on his doorstep or his hair tent. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) then performed two brisk cycles of ritual prayer. After this he performed two long, long, long cycles. Then he performed two cycles that were shorter than the two before them. Then he performed two cycles that were shorter than the two that were before them. Then he performed two cycles that were shorter than the two that preceded them. Then he performed two cycles that were shorter than the two that were before them. Finally he performed a single-numbered cycle, which added up to a total of thirteen cycles.”
"The Prophet said (Allah bless him and give him peace): 'If one of you gets up during the night, let him begin his ritual prayer with two abbreviated cycles.'”
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ، كَيْفَ كَانَتْ صَلاةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَتْ: مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيَزِيدَ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلا فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا، لا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ، وَطُولِهِنَّ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا لا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي ثَلاثًا، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَتَنَامُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوتِرَ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا عَائِشَةُ، إِنَّ عَيْنَيَّ تَنَامَانِ، وَلا يَنَامُ قَلْبِي.
Narrated Abu Salama ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman asked 'A’isha (may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with her):
“How was the ritual prayer of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) during Ramadan?” so she said: “Neither in Ramadan nor in any other month would Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) add to the total of eleven cycles of ritual prayer. He would perform four — do not ask about their excellence or their length — then he would perform four — do not ask about their excellence or their length — and then he would perform three.”
‘A'isha said (may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with her): “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you perform the odd-numbered ritual prayer ?' He said: ‘O 'A'isha, my eyes may sleep, but my heart does not sleep!’”
"If the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not perform the ritual prayer during the night, because sleep had prevented him, or his eyes had been too weary, during the daytime, he would perform twelve cycles of ritual prayer during the daytime.”
