The earlier narration (pp. 16–17) states: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not exceed eleven rakʿahs in Ramadan or at any other time.” The reconciliation between that report and the previous one has already been presented: in essence, ʿĀʾishah meant to exclude the two light rakʿahs with which he ﷺ opened the night prayer. I have since come across what amounts to a clear textual support for this explanation—her other ḥadīth in which she mentioned those two rakʿahs, followed by eight, and then the witr; it was cited under the preceding category.
- He would pray eleven rakʿahs, giving salām after every two and then performing witr with a single rakʿah. This is established by the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—who said:
“He ﷺ used to pray, after completing the ʿIshāʾ prayer—which the people call al-ʿatamah—until dawn, eleven rakʿahs, giving salām after every two and finishing with one rakʿah of witr. [He would stay in prostration for as long as it takes any one of you to recite fifty verses before raising his head.] When the caller to prayer fell silent after the Fajr adhān, and dawn was evident to him, and the caller returned, he would rise and pray two light rakʿahs, then lie on his right side until the caller came to announce the iqāmah.” ⦗103⦘