Sahih Muslim Book - 6, Hadith - 1811

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَأَبُو مَعْنٍ الرَّقَاشِىُّ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِى كَثِيرٍ حَدَّثَنِى أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ كَانَ نَبِىُّ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَفْتَتِحُ صَلاَتَهُ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ افْتَتَحَ صَلاَتَهُ « اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ اهْدِنِى لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِى مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ».

Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf said: "I asked 'Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, how the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w) used to start his prayer when he got up at night. She said: 'When he got up to pray at night, he would start his prayer with the words: Allahuma rabba jabra'ila wa mika'ila wa israfila fatiras-samawati wal-ard, 'alimal-ghaibi wash-shahadah, anta tahkumu bain 'ibadika fima kanu fihi yakhtalifun, indin'i limakhtulifa fihi minatl-haqqi bi-idhnika innaka tahd'i man tasha'u ila siratin mustaqim. (O Allah, Lord of Jibra'il, Mika'il and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me concerning that wherein they differ of the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.)'"