“The Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — would pray between the time he finished the ʿIshāʾ prayer — which people call al-ʿAtamah — until the Fajr prayer, eleven rakʿahs, saying the salām after every two rakʿahs and ending with a single rakʿah of witr. When the muʾadhdhin stopped calling for the Fajr prayer, and it was clear that dawn had come, and the muʾadhdhin came to him, he would stand and pray two light rakʿahs, then lie on his right side until the muʾadhdhin came to him for the iqāmah.”
Reported by Muslim (no. 736), from the narration of ʿĀʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her.
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — was the most devout of people toward his Lord and the most diligent in performing the night prayer, even though Allah, the Exalted, had forgiven him his past and future sins. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ʿĀʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her — described one aspect of the Prophet’s night prayer — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. His prayer at night varied in form, and she mentioned that he would pray eleven rakʿahs during the night, saying the salām after every two rakʿahs, then performing witr with a single rakʿah. This is in accordance with his statement — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him: “The night prayer is offered two by two.” She — may Allah be pleased with her — then related that when the muʾadhdhin finished the call to the Fajr prayer, he would come to the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — to inform him that the time for Fajr had begun. When the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — was certain that dawn had arrived, he would stand and pray two light rakʿahs (the Sunnah of Fajr), to the extent that she — may Allah be pleased with her — said in amazement at their lightness, as in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: “Did he even recite the Mother of the Book in them?” He would then lie on his right side to rest from the exertion of the night prayer until the muʾadhdhin came to him again to inform him that the people had gathered for the prayer. He — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — would then go out to lead them in the obligatory Fajr prayer.