A person asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as I stood between him (the Holy Prophet) and the inquirer and he said: Messenger of Allah, how is the night prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It consists of pairs of rak'ahs, but if you apprehend morning, you should pray one rak'ah and make the end of your prayer as Witr. Then a person asked him (the Holy Prophet) at the end of the year and I was at that place near the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ; but I do not know whether he was the same person or another person, but he (the Holy Prophet) gave him the same reply.
أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَأَنَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ السَّائِلِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيتَ الصُّبْحَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَةً وَاجْعَلْ آخِرَ صَلاَتِكَ وِتْرًا ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ وَأَنَا بِذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلاَ أَدْرِي هُوَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ