Is the prayer of one who prays more than four continuous rak'ahs in the last third of the night with a single tashahhud at the end valid, and did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pray such a prayer?

Scholars differed on the manner of performing voluntary night prayers. The majority held that they should be prayed two by two (rak'ahs), citing Aisha's narration, "Night prayer is two by two." Whereas Abu Hanifa permitted two, four, six, or eight rak'ahs, citing Aisha's narration, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would not exceed eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan (definition) or otherwise. He would pray four; do not ask about their beauty and length. Then he would pray four; do not ask about their beauty and length. Then he would pray three."

The apparent Sunnah (definition) is for night prayer to be two by two, based on the hadith (definition), "Night prayer is two by two," and because the Prophet (peace be upon him) "would say the taslim (definition) after every two rak'ahs." Aisha's other hadith, "He would pray four," is clarified by her hadith "two by two," because she mentioned four but did not mention the taslim, whereas she mentioned it in other hadiths.