Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer he used to say:

"Allahumma lakal-ḥamd. Anta Qaiyimus-samâwâti wal-ard wa man fihinna. Wa lakal-ḥamdu, Anta Nur us-samâwâti wal-ard wa man fîhinna. Wa lakal-ḥamd, Anta Malikus-samâwâti wal-ard wa man fihinna. Wa lakal- ḥamd, Antal-Haq wa wa‘dukal-haq, wa liqâ'uka, wa qauluka, wal-jannatu haq wan-naru wannabi-yûna haq, wa Muḥammadun haq, was-sâ'atu haq. Allâhumma laka as-lamtu wabika âmantu, wa'alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khâṣamtu, wa ilaika hâkamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akh-khartu wa ma as-rartu wa alantu, Antal- Muqaddim wa Antal-Muakhkhir, La ilâha illa Anta (or La ilâha ghairuka).

[O Allah ! All the praises are for You; You are the Holder of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the heavens and the earth; and whatever is in them, You are the King of the heavens and the earth; and whatever is in them, and all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth; and the Meeting with You is the truth; Your Words are the truth; and Paradise is the truth; and Hell is the truth and all the Prophet's (peace be upon them) are the truth. And Muḥammad (ﷺ) is the truth; and the Hour (Day of Resurrection) is the truth. O Allah ! I surrender to You, I believe in You and depend on You, and repent to You, and with Your Help I argue (with my opponents, the disbelievers), and I take You as a Judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my past and future sins; and whatever I concealed and whatever I revealed; and You are the One Who makes (some people) forward and (some) backward; there is none who has the right to be worshipped but You (or, there is no other deity than You)].

[Sufyân said that Abdul Karîm Umaiyya added to the above, Wa ḥaula wa quwata illâ billâh (There is neither might nor power except with Allah)]. [2:221-O.B.]

In the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) whosoever saw a dream would narrate it to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) had a wish of seeing a dream to narrate it to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) I was a grown up boy and used to sleep in the mosque in the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) I saw in the dream that two angels caught hold of me and took me to the fire which was built all round like a built well and had two poles in it and the people in it were known to me. I started saying, I seek refuge with Allâh from the fire." Then I met another angel who told me not to be afraid. I narrated the dream to who told it to Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Abdullâh is a good man. I wish he prayed Tahajjud." After that 'Abdullâh (i.e. Sâlim's father) used to sleep but a little at night. [2:222-O.B.]

The Prophet (ﷺ) became sick and did not get up (for Tahajjud prayer) for a night or two. [2:224-O.B.]

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib that one night Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) came to him and, the daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ), and said, "Don't you (both) offer the (Tahajjud) prayer (at night)? said, "O Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ), our souls are in the Hands of Allâh and if He wants us to get up He will make us get up." When I said that, he left us without saying anything and I heard that he was hitting his thigh and saying, But man is ever more quarrelsome than anything " (V.18:54). [2:227-O.B.]

Allâh's Messenger (ﷺ) used to give up a good deed, although he loved to do it, for fear that people might act on it and it might be made compulsory for them. The Prophet (ﷺ) never prayed the Duḥa prayer, but I offer it. [2:228-0.B.]