حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَعْنِي النَّهْشَلِيَّ عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَيُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ وَيُصَلِّ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ صَارَ إِلَى تِسْعٍ وَسِتٍّ وَثَلَاثٍ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2714
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to pray eight rak'ahs at night, and he would pray Witr with three rak'ahs, then pray the two rak'ahs. When he grew old, he settled with nine (altogether), six and three.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020