حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ نَحْوَهُ قَالَ يُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَکَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَجْلِسُ فَيَذْکُرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ثُمَّ يَدْعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَکْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَکْعَةً فَتِلْکَ إِحْدَی عَشْرَةَ رَکْعَةً يَا بُنَيَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَلَّی رَکْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ بِمَعْنَاهُ إِلَی مُشَافَهَةً
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 1343
The above mentioned tradition has also been narrated by Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: He (the Prophet ( used to pray eight rak'ahs during which he did not sit except the eight rak'ahs. He would sit, make mention of Allah, supplicate Him and then utter the salutation so loudly that we could hear it. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after he had uttered the salutation. Then he would pray one rak'ah, and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and became fleshy, he offered seven rak'ahs of witr, and then he would pray two rak'ahs sitting after he had uttered the salutation. The narrator narrated the tradition to the same effect till the end.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020