"I asked 'Aishah with what did he- meaning the Prophet ﷺ- start Qiyam Al-Lail? She said: 'You have asked me something which no one before you has asked. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say the takbir ten times, the tahmid ten times, the tasbih ten times, and the tahlil ten times, and pray for forgiveness ten times, and say: Allahummaghfirli, wahdini, warzuqni wa 'afini. A'udhu billahi min diqil-maqami yawmal-qiyamah (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and good health. I seek refuge with Allah from the difficulty of standing on the Day of Resurrection.)"  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَفْتِحُ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا وَيَحْمَدُ عَشْرًا وَيُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًا وَيُهَلِّلُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمَقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ  

Asim ibn Humayd said: I asked Aisha: By what words the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would begin his supererogatory prayer at night? She replied: You ask me about a thing of which no one asked me before you. When he stood up, be uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) ten times, and uttered "Praise be to Allah" ten times, and uttered "Glory be to Allah " ten times, and uttered "There is no god but Allah" ten times, and sought forgiveness ten times, and said: O Allah, forgive me, and guide me, and give me sustenance, and keep me well, and he sought refuge in Allah from the hardship of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Khalid b. Ma'dan from Rab'iah al-Jarashi on the authority of 'Aishah.  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كَانَ يَفْتَتِحُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ كَبَّرَ عَشْرًا وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَشْرًا وَسَبَّحَ عَشْرًا وَهَلَّلَ عَشْرًا وَاسْتَغْفَرَ عَشْرًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَيَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمَقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ  

[Machine] I asked Aisha and said, "What did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say when he got up at night? And what did he seek when starting?" She said, "He used to praise Allah ten times, and send blessings upon him ten times, and say the takbeer (Allahu Akbar) ten times, and say the tahleel (La ilaha illallah) ten times, and seek forgiveness ten times. And he used to say, 'O Allah, forgive me, guide me, and provide for me ten times.' And he used to say, 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from difficulty on the Day of Judgement ten times.'"  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ؟ وَبِمَ كَانَ يَسْتَفْتِحُ؟ قَالَتْ كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا وَيُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًاوَيُهَلِّلُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الضِّيقِ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ عَشْرًا