How would the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray during the night ? He replied: I spent a night with him when he was with Maimunah. He slept and awoke when half the night or one-third of it had passed. He stood up and went to a leather bad containing water. He performed ablution and I also performed ablution with him. He then stood up and I also stood at his left side. He made me stand at his right side. He then put his hand upon my head, as he was touching my ear and awakening me. He then prayed two light rak'ahs and recited Surah al-Fatihah in each of them, and uttered the salutation. He then prayed eleven rak'ahs observing the witr and slept. Then Bilal came to him and said: Prayer, Messenger of Allah. He got up and prayed two rak'ahs, and then led the people in the prayer. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1364)
أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ صَلَاةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِاللَّيْلِ؟ قَالَ كَانَ يُقْرَأُ فِي حُجَرِهِ فَيَسْمَعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ مَنْ كَانَ خَلْفَهُ وَقَالَ بِتُّ عِنْدَهُ لَيْلَةً وَهُوَ عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ بِنْتِ الْحَارِثِ فَاضْطَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَمَيْمُونَةُ عَلَى وِسَادَةٍ مِنْ أَدَمٍ مَحْشُوَّةٍ لِيفًا فَاضَّطَجَعَا عَلَى طُولِهَا وَاضْطَجَعْتُ عَلَى عَرْضِهَا فَنَامَا حَتَّى إِذَا ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نِصْفَهُ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَقَامَ إِلَى شَنٍّ فِيهِ مَاءٌ فَتَوَضَّأَ وَتَوَضَّأَتُ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ عَلَى يَسَارِهِ فَجَعَلَنِي عَلَى يَمِينِهِ وَوُضِعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِي فَجَعَلَ يَمْسَحُ أُذُنَيَّ كَأَنَّهُ يُوقِظُنِي فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ قُلْتُ قَرَأَ فِيهِمَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ سَلِمَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلِمَ حَتَّى صَلَّى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً بِالْوِتْرِ ثُمَّ نَامَ حَتَّى اسْتَثْقَلَ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَنْفُخُ فَأَتَاهُ بِلَالٌ فَقَالَ الصَّلَاةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَصَلَّى لِلنَّاسِ وَلَمْ يَتَوَضَّأْ