" I came to Al-Madinah and entered upon Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her. She said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'I am Sa'd bin Hisham bin 'Amir.' She said: 'May Allah have mercy on your father.' I said: 'Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did such and such.' I said: 'Yes indeed.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Isha' at night, then he would go to his bed and sleep. In the middle of the night, he would get up to relieve himself and go to his water for purification and perform wudu. Then he went into the Masjid and prayed eight rak'ahs. I think he made the recitation, bowing and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray. This is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray until he grew older and gained weight"- and she mentioned whatever Allah (SWT) willed about his gaining weight. She said: "And the Prophet ﷺ used to lead the people in praying witr, then he would go to his bed. In the middle of the night, he would get up and go to water for purification, and to relieve himself, then he would perform wudu. Then he would go into the masjid and pray six rak'ahs, and I think he made the recitation, bowing, and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray." She said: "And this is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ continued to pray."  

قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ أَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَتْ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أَبَاكَ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرِينِي عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ وَكَانَ قُلْتُ أَجَلْ قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِاللَّيْلِ صَلاَةَ الْعِشَاءِ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَيَنَامُ فَإِذَا كَانَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ قَامَ إِلَى حَاجَتِهِ وَإِلَى طَهُورِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَيُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ يَضَعُ جَنْبَهُ فَرُبَّمَا جَاءَ بِلاَلٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفِيَ وَرُبَّمَا يُغْفِي وَرُبَّمَا شَكَكْتُ أَغْفَى أَوْ لَمْ يُغْفِ حَتَّى يُؤْذِنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى أَسَنَّ وَلَحُمَ فَذَكَرَتْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ قَالَتْ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَإِذَا كَانَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ قَامَ إِلَى طَهُورِهِ وَإِلَى حَاجَتِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ يَدْخُلُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَيُصَلِّي سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ ثُمَّ يُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ يَضَعُ جَنْبَهُ وَرُبَّمَا جَاءَ بِلاَلٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفِيَ وَرُبَّمَا أَغْفَى وَرُبَّمَا شَكَكْتُ أَغْفَى أَمْ لاَ حَتَّى يُؤْذِنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ قَالَتْ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

Sa'd ibn Hisham said: I came to Medina and called upon Aisha, and said to her: Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to lead the people in the night prayer, and then go to his bed and sleep. When midnight came he got up, went to answer the call of nature and to perform ablution with water. Having performed ablution, he entered the mosque and prayed eight rak'ahs. To my mind he performed the recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostrating equally. He then observed witr with one rak'ah and prayed two rak'ahs sitting. Then he lay down on the ground. Sometimes Bilal came to him and called him for prayer. He then dozed, and sometimes I doubted whether he dozed or not, till he (Bilal) called him for prayer. This is the prayer he offered till he grew old or put on weight. She then mentioned how he put on weight as Allah wished.  

قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ أَخْبِرِينِي عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ صَلاَةَ الْعِشَاءِ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَيَنَامُ فَإِذَا كَانَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ قَامَ إِلَى حَاجَتِهِ وَإِلَى طَهُورِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى ثَمَانِ رَكَعَاتٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ ثُمَّ يُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ يَضَعُ جَنْبَهُ فَرُبَّمَا جَاءَ بِلاَلٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ يُغْفِي وَرُبَّمَا شَكَكْتُ أَغَفَى أَوْ لاَ حَتَّى يُؤْذِنَهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَتَهُ حَتَّى أَسَنَّ وَلَحُمَ فَذَكَرَتْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ  

" I came to Al-Madinah and entered upon Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her. She said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'I am Sa'd bin Hisham bin 'Amir.' She said: 'May Allah have mercy on your father.' I said: 'Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did such and such.' I said: 'Yes indeed.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Isha' at night, then he would go to his bed and sleep. In the middle of the night, he would get up to relieve himself and go to his water for purification and perform wudu. Then he went into the Masjid and prayed eight rak'ahs. I think he made the recitation, bowing and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray. This is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray until he grew older and gained weight"- and she mentioned whatever Allah (SWT) willed about his gaining weight. She said: "And the Prophet ﷺ used to lead the people in praying witr, then he would go to his bed. In the middle of the night, he would get up and go to water for purification, and to relieve himself, then he would perform wudu. Then he would go into the masjid and pray six rak'ahs, and I think he made the recitation, bowing, and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray." She said: "And this is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ continued to pray." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1651)   

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بِاللَّيْلِ صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَيَنَامُ فَإِذَا كَانَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ قَامَ إِلَى حَاجَتِهِ وَإِلَى طَهُورِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَيُصَلِّي ثَمَانِي رَكَعَاتٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ يَضَعُ جَنْبَهُ فَرُبَّمَا جَاءَ بِلَالٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفِيَ وَرُبَّمَا أَغْفَى وَرُبَّمَا شَكَكْتُ أَغَفَى أَمْ لَا؟ حَتَّى يُؤْذِنَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى أَسَنَّ وَلَحِمَ قَالَتْ وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ يَأْوِي إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَإِذَا كَانَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ قَامَ إِلَى طَهُورِهِ وَإِلَى حَاجَتِهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمُّ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ يُسَوِّي بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ وَالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ ثُمَّ يُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ ثُمَّ يَضَعُ جَنْبَهُ وَرُبَّمَا جَاءَهُ بِلَالٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفِي وَرُبَّمَا أَغْفَى وَرُبَّمَا شَكَكْتُ أَغْفَى أَمْ لَا؟ حَتَّى يُؤْذِنَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَالَتْ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ