I asked Ibn 'Umar to tell me about the practice of the Prophet ﷺ in regard to two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer: Should I make lengthy recitation in them? He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe, the night prayer in pairs and then made the number odd by observing one rak'ah. I said: I am not asking you about it. He said: You are a bulky man, will you not show me the patience to narrate to you the hadith completely? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe the night prayer in pairs and then made the number odd by observing one rak'ah, and then he observed two rak'ahs before dawn quite close to the call for prayer (Khalaf said:" Did you see [yourself the Prophet observing] the two rak'ahs before the dawn?" and he made no mention of prayer.)  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي لَسْتُ عَنْ هَذَا أَسْأَلُكَ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَضَخْمٌ أَلاَ تَدَعُنِي أَسْتَقْرِئُ لَكَ الْحَدِيثَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ كَأَنَّ الأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ قَالَ خَلَفٌ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ صَلاَةِ  

I asked Ibn ʿUmar, "What is your opinion about the two rakʿat before the Fajr (compulsory) prayer, as to prolonging the recitation in them?" He said, "The Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night two rakʿat followed by two and so on, and end the prayer by one rakʿah witr. He used to offer two rakʿat before the Fajr prayer immediately after the Adhan." (Hammad, the sub-narrator said, "That meant (that he prayed) quickly.)" (Using translation from Bukhārī 995)   

قُلْتُ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ أَأُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الْقِرَاءَةَ؟ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ كَأَنَّ الْأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ»