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.
muslim:749gKhalaf b. Hishām And ʾAbū Kāmil > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Anas b. Sīrīn > Saʾalt Ibn ʿUmar > Araʾayt al-Rakʿatayn Qabl Ṣalāh al-Ghadāh Aʾuṭīl Fīhimā al-Qirāʾah

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.)  

مسلم:٧٤٩gحَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ أَأُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الْقِرَاءَةَ قَالَ

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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:995Abū al-Nuʿmān > Ḥammād b. Zayd > Anas b. Sīrīn

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.)"  

البخاري:٩٩٥حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ قَالَ

قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عُمَرَ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ أُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الْقِرَاءَةَ فَقَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ وَكَأَنَّ الأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ أَىْ سُرْعَةً  

nasai-kubra:437Aḥmad b. ʿAbdah > Ḥammād > Anas b. Sīrīn

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)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٤٣٧أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ

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»