two further items.
In al-Nasā’ī’s version (1) of this hadith: He would say it while prostrating.
In one version recorded by Muslim (2): He went out to the prayer—meaning the dawn prayer—saying this supplication, which the narrator then quoted. Another version he records (3) also includes: “And light in my tongue; place light in my soul, and grant me abundant light.” Another version he records (4) also (5) includes: “And make me light.”
Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasā’ī (6) related a hadith from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite in the witr prayer ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,’ ‘Say: O disbelievers,’ and ‘Say: He is Allah, the One.’ After concluding the prayer with the salutation of peace, he would say, ‘Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy,’ three times, prolonging his voice
(1) Al-Mujtabā (1121) and al-Kubrā (712), with a sound chain of transmission. Muslim (763/187) records it with uncertainty in the wording: “He began saying during his prayer—or in prostration,” followed by this supplication.
(2) No. (763/191).
(3) No. (763/189).
(4) No. (763/187), with uncertainty in the wording; another version immediately following it gives the wording without uncertainty.
(5) The word “also” does not appear in the manuscripts designated Sād, Qāf, and Mīm-Bā’.
(6) Abū Dāwūd (1430) and al-Nasā’ī in al-Mujtabā (1699, 1701, and several other places) and al-Kubrā (446, 447, 10497–10512, and several other places), through various chains from Sa‘īd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abzā, from his father, from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b. The exception is the additional wording, “He would prolong his voice on the third repetition and raise it,” which comes from the hadith of ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abzā, as recorded by al-Nasā’ī in al-Mujtabā (1752) and al-Kubrā (1452). Al-Nasā’ī presents this hadith’s transmission routes at length; for details, see the editors’ commentary on al-Musnad (15354). The hadith is authentic. Some transmission routes include an additional mention of qunūt (supplication) in the witr prayer; its sources and weakness have already been discussed.