Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 733 a
sahih

Hafsa reported:

Never did I see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observing supererogatory prayer sitting till one year before his death when he would observe Nafl prayer in a sitting position, and he would recite the Surah (of the Qur'an) in such a slow-measured tone (that duration of its recital) became more lengthy than the one longer than this.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ أَبِي وَدَاعَةَ السَّهْمِيِّ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى فِي سُبْحَتِهِ قَاعِدًا حَتَّى كَانَ قَبْلَ وَفَاتِهِ بِعَامٍ فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي سُبْحَتِهِ قَاعِدًا وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ بِالسُّورَةِ فَيُرَتِّلُهَا حَتَّى تَكُونَ أَطْوَلَ مِنْ أَطْوَلَ مِنْهَا ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 6, Hadith 142
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 4, Hadith 1597 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them. In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that she did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offer his Subhah - i.e., his supererogatory prayer - while sitting, as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform supererogatory prayers while standing. Then, one year before his death - and in another version: one or two years - he would pray while sitting, that is because he put on weight and his body weakened due to old age, according to a Hadīth narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections and reported by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). She informed that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite a Surah of the Qur'an during his prayer, and he would recite in a so measured and deliberate manner "that it became longer than longer Surahs" i.e., due to his measured way of reciting, the duration of reciting a Surah would become longer than the duration of reciting another bigger Surah in terms of the length and the number of verses. The Hadīth mentions the recitation of the Qur'an in a measured and deliberate manner. It also includes the performance of supererogatory prayers while sitting..
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