Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn `Abbas, reported that Ibn `Abbas narrated to him that he spent a night in the house of Maimuna, the mother of the believers, who was his mother's sister. I lay down across the cushion, whereas the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife lay down on it length-wise. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept till midnight, or a little before midnight, or a little after midnight, and then got up and began to cast off the effects of sleep from his face by rubbing with his hand, and then recited the ten concluding verses of Surah Al-`Imran. He then stood up near a hanging water-skin and performed ablution well, and then stood up and prayed, Ibn `Abbas said:
I also stood up and did the same, as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had done, and then went to him and stood by his side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his right hand upon my head and took hold of my right ear and twisted it, and then observed a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, and then observed Witr and then lay down till the Mu'adhdhin came to him. He (the Holy Prophet) then stood up and observed two short rak`ahs, and then went out (to the mosque) and observed the dawn prayer.