It has been narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said : The Prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer (wins him half the reward of prayer). I came to him and found him prayer in sitting condition. I placed my hand on my head (in surprise). He said: what is the matter,’Abd Allah b. ‘Amr? I said; Messenger of Allah ﷺ you have been reported to me as saying : the prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer , but you are praying in sitting condition. He said: yes, but I am not like one of you.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا نِصْفُ الصَّلاَةِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي جَالِسًا فَوَضَعْتُ يَدَىَّ عَلَى رَأْسِي فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو قُلْتُ حُدِّثْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا نِصْفُ الصَّلاَةِ وَأَنْتَ تُصَلِّي قَاعِدًا قَالَ أَجَلْ وَلَكِنِّي لَسْتُ كَأَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ  

‘Imran b. Hussain asked the prophet ﷺ about the prayer a man offers in sitting condition. He replied: his prayer in standing condition is better than his prayer in sitting condition, and his prayer in sitting condition is half the prayer he offers in standing condition, and his prayer in lying condition is half the prayer he offers in sitting condition.  

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ صَلاَةِ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا فَقَالَ صَلاَتُهُ قَائِمًا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ قَاعِدًا وَصَلاَتُهُ قَاعِدًا عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ قَائِمًا وَصَلاَتُهُ نَائِمًا عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ قَاعِدًا  

I had a fistula; so I asked the prophet ﷺ. He said: offer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side(i.e, in lying condition).  

كَانَ بِيَ النَّاصُورُ فَسَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ صَلِّ قَائِمًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْبٍ  

I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting the Quraan in his prayer at night in sitting condition until he became old. Then he used to sit in it (the prayer) and recite the Quran until forty or thirty verses remained, then he stood and recited them and prostrated himself.  

مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ جَالِسًا قَطُّ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فِي السِّنِّ فَكَانَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا فَيَقْرَأُ حَتَّى إِذَا بَقِيَ أَرْبَعُونَ أَوْ ثَلاَثُونَ آيَةً قَامَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ  

when the prophet ﷺ prayed sitting, he recited the Quran in sitting condition. When the amount of his recitation remained about thirty or forty verses he stood up and recited them standing. He then bowed and prostrated and then did so in the second Rak’ah of the prayer. Abu Dawud said: 'Alqamah b. Waqqas narrated this tradition on the authority of 'Aishah from the Prophet ﷺ to the same effect.  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي جَالِسًا فَيَقْرَأُ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ وَإِذَا بَقِيَ مِنْ قِرَاءَتِهِ قَدْرُ مَا يَكُونُ ثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ آيَةً قَامَ فَقَرَأَهَا وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ ثُمَّ يَفْعَلُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray standing at night for a long time, and used to pray sitting at night for a long time. When he prayed standing, he bowed standing, and when he prayed sitting, he bowed sitting.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي لَيْلاً طَوِيلاً قَائِمًا وَلَيْلاً طَوِيلاً قَاعِدًا فَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا رَكَعَ قَائِمًا وَإِذَا صَلَّى قَاعِدًا رَكَعَ قَاعِدًا  

I asked ‘A’ishah whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited a whole Surah (of the Quran) in one Rak’ah of the prayer. She replied : (He recited from among) the Mufassal surahs. I asked: Did he pray (at night) sitting? She replied : (he prayed sitting) when the people made him old.  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ أَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ السُّورَةَ فِي رَكْعَةٍ قَالَتِ الْمُفَصَّلَ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي قَاعِدًا قَالَتْ حِينَ حَطَمَهُ النَّاسُ