How did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray during Ramadhan ? She said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not pray more than eleven rak'ahs during Ramadhan and other than Ramadhan. He would pray four rak'ahs. Do not ask about their elegance and length. He then would pray for rak'ahs. Do not ask about their alegance and length. Then he would pray three rak'ahs. 'Aishah said: I asked: Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before observing witr ? He replied: 'Aishah, my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1341)   

عَائِشَةَ ؓ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ صَلَاةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَتْ مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلَا فِي غَيْرِ رَمَضَانَ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا فَلَا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا فَلَا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي ثَلَاثًا قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَتَنَامُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوتِرَ؟ فَقَالَ يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ عَيْنِيَّ تَنَامَانِ وَلَا يَنَامُ قَلْبِي لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَحْيَى وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to pray in the month of Ramadan, outside of congregational prayers, with twenty units (rak'ahs) and would pray the odd (witr) prayer separately. Abu Shu'aybatah Ibrahim ibn Uthman al-Abssi al-Kufi performed this prayer alone, and he was weak.  

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ فِي غَيْرِ جَمَاعَةٍ بِعِشْرِينَ رَكْعَةٍ وَالْوِتْرِ تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ أَبُو شَيْبَةَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْعَبْسِيُّ الْكُوفِيُّ وَهُوَ ضَعِيفٌ  

[Machine] That they would perform eleven units of prayer for the people and the reciter would recite two hundred verses until we would rely on sticks due to the length of standing, and we would not disperse except after the branches of dawn - such is the narration.  

أَنْ يَقُومَا لِلنَّاسِ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَكَانَ الْقَارِئُ يَقْرَأُ بِالْمِئِينَ حَتَّى كُنَّا نَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى الْعِصِيِّ مِنْ طُولِ الْقِيَامِ وَمَا كُنَّا نَنْصَرِفُ إِلَّا فِي فُرُوعِ الْفَجْرِ هَكَذَا فِي هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةِ  

[Machine] "And they used to recite the Quran correctly and they used to lean on their staffs during the time of Uthman ibn Affan, due to the intensity of their standing."  

وَكَانُوا يَقْرَءُونَ بِالْمَئِينِ وَكَانُوا يَتَوَكَّئُونَ عَلَى عِصِيِّهِمْ فِي عَهْدِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ ؓ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْقِيَامِ  

[Machine] During the time of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, people used to offer twenty-three units of prayer in Ramadan. It was possible to combine the two narrations (regarding the number of units) because they used to start with eleven units, then perform twenty units before ending with three units of witr prayer. Only Allah knows best.  

كَانَ النَّاسُ يَقُومُونَ فِي زَمَانِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ فِي رَمَضَانَ بِثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ رَكْعَةً وَيُمْكِنُ الْجَمْعُ بَيْنَ الرِّوَايَتَيْنِ فَإِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَقُومُونَ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ ثُمَّ كَانُوا يَقُومُونَ بِعِشْرِينَ وَيُوتِرُونَ بِثَلَاثٍ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ  

[Machine] He used to lead them in twenty units of prayer during the month of Ramadan, and would perform three units of voluntary prayer after that, which gave him strength for what he engaged in.  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بِعِشْرِينَ رَكْعَةً وَيُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ وَفِي ذَلِكَ قُوَّةٌ لِمَا  

[Machine] He called the readers in Ramadan and ordered one of them to pray 20 units of prayer for the people. He said: "And Ali used to make it odd." And it was narrated from another narration from Ali. As for the Taraweeh prayer, it is in accordance with what...  

دَعَا الْقُرَّاءَ فِي رَمَضَانَ فَأَمَرَ مِنْهُمْ رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ عِشْرِينَ رَكْعَةً قَالَ وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ يُوتِرُ بِهِمْ وَرُوِيَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَأَمَّا التَّرَاوِيحُ فَفِيمَا  

[Machine] To pray with the people five sets of twenty rak'ahs, and in this narration there is a repetition, and Allah knows best.  

أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ خَمْسَ تَرْوِيحَاتٍ عِشْرِينَ رَكْعَةً وَفِي هَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ ضَعْفٌ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ  

[Machine] And perhaps the one who requested to lead them in Taraweeh prayers is Umar ibn Al-Khattab, and Allah knows best.  

وَلَعَلَّهُ أَرَادَ مَنْ يُصَلِّي بِهُمُ التَّرَاوِيحَ بِأَمْرِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ  

[Machine] "Abu Ali al-Roudbari from Tous narrated that Abu Tahir al-Muhammadabadi informed us that al-Sarri ibn Khuzaymah narrated from al-Hasan ibn Bishr al-Kufi who narrated from al-Mu'afa ibn Imran who narrated from al-Mughirah ibn Ziyad al-Mawsili who narrated from Aisha. She said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray four units of prayer at night and then he would do tawarruk (resting briefly) until I had mercy on him. So I said, 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah, Allah has forgiven you for your past sins and your future sins.' He said, 'Should I not be a grateful slave?' Al-Mughirah ibn Ziyad narrated this exclusively, and although his narration is not strong, his statement 'and then he would do tawarruk' is the basis for the practice of the Imam in the Taraweeh prayer. And Allah knows best.'"  

أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ بِطُوسَ أنبأ أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْمُحَمَّدَ آبَادِيُّ ثنا السَّرِيُّ بْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ الْكُوفِيُّ ثنا الْمُعَافَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ فِي اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَتَرَوَّحُ فَأَطَالَ حَتَّى رَحِمْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَدْ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ قَالَ أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا؟ تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ وَلَيْسَ بِالْقَوِيِّ وَقَوْلُهُ ثُمَّ يَتَرَوَّحُ إِنْ ثَبَتَ فَهُوَ أَصْلٌ فِي تَرَوُّحِ الْإِمَامِ فِي صَلَاةِ التَّرَاوِيحِ وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ