Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:24042Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > ʿUmārah b. ʿUmayr > Yaḥyá b. al-Jazzār > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform voluntary prayers called "Tahajjud" with nine rak'ahs. However, as he grew older and found it burdensome, he shortened it to seven rak'ahs.  

أحمد:٢٤٠٤٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الجَزَّارِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوتِرُ بِتِسْعٍ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ وثَقُلَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
nasai:1709Aḥmad b. Sulaymān > Ḥusayn > Zāʾidah > Sulaymān > ʿUmārah b. ʿUmayr > Yaḥyá b. al-Jazzār > ʿĀʾishah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray nine (rak'ahs) at night, then when he grew older and put on weight he prayed seven."  

النسائي:١٧٠٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ تِسْعًا فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ وَثَقُلَ صَلَّى سَبْعًا  

ahmad:26738Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > ʿAmr b. Murrah > Yaḥyá b. al-Jazzār > Um Salamah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray witr with thirteen rak'ahs, but when he grew older and weaker he prayed witr with nine." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1727)   

أحمد:٢٦٧٣٨حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ وَضَعُفَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ  

يَحْيَى بْنُ الْجَزَّارِ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ

tabarani:20138[Chain 1] ʿUbayd b. Ghannām > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah [Chain 2] al-Ḥusayn b. Isḥāq > ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > ʿAmr b. Murrah > Yaḥyá b. al-Jazzār > Um Salamah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray thirteen raka'ah in the night, but when he became old or weak, he would pray seven raka'ah.  

الطبراني:٢٠١٣٨حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ قَالَا ثنا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ثنا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ وَضَعُفَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ»  

tabarani:8066Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥaḍramī > ʿUqbah b. Mukram > Yūnus b. Bukayr > Abū Qabīṣah > Abū Ghālib > Abū Umāmah

[Machine] The translation of the passage from Arabic to English is: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the Witr prayer with nine units, but when it became difficult for him, he would perform Witr with seven units."  

الطبراني:٨٠٦٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ ثنا عُقْبَةُ بْنُ مُكْرَمٍ ثنا يُونُسُ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ ثنا أَبُو قَبِيصَةَ عَنْ أَبِي غَالِبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ

«كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوتِرُ بِتِسْعٍ فَلَمَّا ثَقُلَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ»  

nasai-kubra:1354Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Yaḥyá b. Ḥammād > Abū ʿAwānah > al-Aʿmash > ʿUmārah > Yaḥyá b. al-Jazzār > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] That the Prophet ﷺ used to perform voluntary prayers of nine units, but when he grew older and weaker, he would perform the voluntary prayers of seven units.  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٣٥٤أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ «يُوتِرُ بِتِسْعٍ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ وَثَقُلَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ»