"I asked 'Aishah with what the Messenger of Allah [SAW] would start Qiyam Al-Lail. She said: 'You have asked me about something that no one else has asked me about. He used to say Allahu Akbar ten times, and Subhan-Allah ten times, and Istaghfir-Allah ten times, and he would say, Allahummaghfirli, wahdini, warzuqni, wa'afini (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and give me good health,) and he would seek refuge from the difficulty of the standing on the Day of Resurrection.'"  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا وَيُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَيَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمَقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ  

"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  

Shariq al-Hawzani and I came to Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) and asked her: By which (prayer) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began when he woke up at night? She replied: You asked me about a thing which no one asked me before. When he woke up at night, he uttered: "Allah is Most Great" ten times, and uttered "Praise be to Allah" ten times, and said "Glory be to Allah and I begin with His praise" ten times, and said: "Glory be to the King, the Most Holy" ten times, and asked Allah's pardon ten times, and said: "There is no god but Allah" ten times, and then said: "O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from the strait of the Day of resurrection," ten times. He then began the prayer.  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ؓ فَسَأَلْتُهَا بِمَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ إِذَا هَبَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ كَانَ إِذَا هَبَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ كَبَّرَ عَشْرًا وَحَمِدَ عَشْرًا وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ عَشْرًا وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ عَشْرًا وَاسْتَغْفَرَ عَشْرًا وَهَلَّلَ عَشْرًا ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ ضِيقِ الدُّنْيَا وَضِيقِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ عَشْرًا ثُمَّ يَفْتَتِحُ الصَّلاَةَ  

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  

“I asked ‘Aishah: ‘With what did the Prophet ﷺ start voluntary prayers?’ She said: ‘You have asked me about something which no one has asked before. He used to say Allahu Akbar ten times, and Al-Hamdu Lillah ten times and Subhan Allah ten times, and he would say Allahumma aghfirli wahdini, warzuqni, wa ‘afini (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and give me good health),” and he would seek refuge from the difficulty of the standing on the Day of Resurrection.”  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ مَاذَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ بِهِ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا وَيَحْمَدُ عَشْرًا وَيُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَيَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمُقَامِ 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  

"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.)" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1617)   

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَفْتِحُ بِهِ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ؟ قَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَفْتِحُ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يُصَلِّي يَبْدَأُ فَيُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا ثُمَّ يُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًا وَيَحْمَدُ عَشْرًا وَيُهَلِّلُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي عَشْرًا وَيَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ ضِيقِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ عَشْرًا»  

“I asked ‘Aishah: ‘With what did the Prophet ﷺ start voluntary prayers?’ She said: ‘You have asked me about something which no one has asked before. He used to say Allahu Akbar ten times, and Al-Hamdu Lillah ten times and Subhan Allah ten times, and he would say Allahumma aghfirli wahdini, warzuqni, wa ‘afini (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and give me good health),” and he would seek refuge from the difficulty of the standing on the Day of Resurrection.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1356)  

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ عَمَّا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَفْتَتِحُ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ؟ قَالَتْ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهُ أَحَدٌ كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ عَشْرًا وَيُحَمِّدُ عَشْرًا وَيُسَبِّحُ عَشْرًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ عَشْرًا وَيَقُولُ «اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَاهْدِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي» وَيَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْمُقَامِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ