Aishah, wife of the prophet ﷺ, said: when the prophet ﷺ prayed sitting, he recited the Quran in sitting condition. When the amount of his recitation remained about thirty or forty verses he stood up and recited them standing. He then bowed and prostrated and then did so in the second Rak’ah of the prayer. Abu Dawud said: Alqamah bin Waqqas narrated this tradition on the authority of Aishah from the Prophet ﷺ to the same effect.

Imran bin Husain said: I had a fistula; so I asked the prophet ﷺ. He said: offer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side (i. e, in lying condition).

Aishah said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting the Quraan in his prayer at night in sitting condition until he became old. Then he used to sit in it (the prayer) and recite the Quran until forty or thirty verses remained, then he stood and recited them and prostrated himself.

Abdullah bin Shaqiq said: I asked Aishah whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited a whole Surah (of the Quran) in one Rak’ah of the prayer. She replied: (He recited from among) the Mufassal surahs. I asked: Did he pray (at night) sitting? She replied: (he prayed sitting) when the people made him old.