Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her. (Using translation from Muslim 746a)   

أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ؟ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ ؓ فَأْتِهَا فَسَلْهَا ثُمَّ أَعْلِمْنِي مَا تَرُدُّ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَصْحَبْتُهُ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا فَدَخَلْنَا فَقَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ حَكِيمُ بْنُ أَفْلَحَ فَقَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ؟ قُلْتُ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ وَمَنْ هِشَامٌ؟ قُلْتُ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ قَالَتْ نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرٌ أُصِيبَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي فَقُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى افْتَرَضَ الْقِيَامَ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي وِتْرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ فَيَقْعُدُ ثُمَّ يَحْمَدُ رَبَّهُ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ وَيَدَعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمَةً يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنِيَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ يَا بُنِيَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى الصَّبَّاحِ وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا قَطُّ كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقْتَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ أَمْرِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ ابْنُ بِشْرٍ يَعْنِي أَوَّلُ أَمْرِهِ أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَبِيعُ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا وَيَجْعَلُهُ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ ثُمَّ يُجَاهِدُ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَبَلَغَ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا مِنْهُمْ سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا وَذَلِكَ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَفَّانَ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ  

In Surat al-Muzzammil (73), the verse: "Keep vigil at night but a little, a half thereof" (2-3) has been abrogated by the following verse: "He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite then of the Qur'an that which is easy for you" (v.20). The phrase "the vigil of the night" (nashi'at al-layl) means the early hours of the night. They (the companions) would pray (the tahajjud prayer) in the early hours of the night. He (Ibn Abbas) says: It is advisable to offer the prayer at night (tahajjud), prescribed by Allah for you (in the early hours of the night). This is because when a person sleeps, he does not know when he will awake. The words "speech more certain" (aqwamu qilan) means that this time is more suitable for the understanding of the Qur'an. He says: The verse: "Lo, thou hast by day a chain of business" (v.7) means engagement for long periods (in the day's work). (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1304)   

فِي الْمُزَّمِّلِ {قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ} [المزمل 2] نَسَخَتْهُ الْآيَةُ الَّتِي فِيهَا {عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ} وَنَاشِئَةُ اللَّيْلِ أَوَّلُهُ كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُمْ لَأَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ يَقُولُ هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ تُحْصُوا مَا فَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِذَا نَامَ لَمْ يَدْرِ مَتَى يَسْتَيْقِظُ وَقَوْلُهُ {أَقْومُ قِيلًا} [المزمل 6] هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يُفْقَهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَقَوْلُهُ {إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا} [المزمل 7] يَقُولُ فَرَاغًا طَوِيلًا  

When the opening verses of Surah Al-muzammil was revealed, the Companions would pray as long as they would pray during Ramadan until its last verses were revealed. The period between the revelation of its opening and the last verses was one year. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1305)   

سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَقُولُ لَمَّا نَزَلَ أَوَّلُ الْمُزَّمِّلِ كَانُوا يَقُومُونَ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِمْ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ آخِرُهَا فَكَانَ بَيْنَ أَوَّلِهَا وَآخِرِهَا قَرِيبٌ مِنْ سَنَةٍ