Chapter 181: What was narrated concerning how many Rak’ah should be prayed at night - كتاب إقامة الصلاة والسنة فيها
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ السَّلاَمِ بْنُ عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نَافِعِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسِ بْنِ مَخْرَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَرْمُقَنَّ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ اللَّيْلَةَ . قَالَ فَتَوَسَّدْتُ عَتَبَتَهُ أَوْ فُسْطَاطَهُ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ طَوِيلَتَيْنِ طَوِيلَتَيْنِ طَوِيلَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُمَا دُونَ اللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَهُمَا ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُمَا دُونَ اللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَهُمَا ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُمَا دُونَ اللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَهُمَا ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ فَتِلْكَ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً .
It was narrated that Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani said:
“I said, I must observe how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prays tonight. So I lay down at his door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up and prayed two brief Rak’ah, then two long ones, which were very, very long, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah, then Witr. That was thirteen Rak’ah.”