The Witr - Section 1

English translation

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of <i>rak'as</i>, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one <i>rak'a</i> which will make his prayer an odd number for him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The <i>witr</i>* is a <i>rak'a</i> at the end of the night.” * Literally ‘single’, or ‘odd’, used of an odd number of <i>rak'as</i> prayed at some time during the night. Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to pray thirteen <i>rak'as</i> during the night, observing a <i>witr</i> out of that with five, and sitting only during the last of them. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Sa‘d b. Hisham said:

I went to ‘A’isha and said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about the nature of God’s Messenger.” She asked, “Do you not recite the Qur’an?” On my replying that I certainly did, she said, “The Prophet’s nature was the Qur’an.”* I said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about the <i>witr</i> of God’s Messenger.” She replied, “I used to prepare his toothstick and his water for ablution, and God would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the toothstick, perform ablution, and pray nine <i>rak'as</i>, sitting only during the eighth of them, then he would make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth. After that he would sit, make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then utter a salutation loud enough for me to hear. He would then pray two <i>rak'as</i> sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven <i>rak'as</i>, sonny. But when God’s Messenger grew old and became fleshy he observed a <i>witr</i> of seven, doing in the two <i>rak'as</i>, as he had done formerly, and that made nine, sonny. When God’s prophet prayed a prayer he liked to keep on observing it, but when sleep or pain made it impossible for him to get up during the night; he prayed twelve <i>rak'as</i> during the day. I am not aware of God’s prophet having recited the whole Qur’an in a night, or praying through a whole night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan.” *i.e. the good characteristics included in the Qur’an were shown by the Prophet (ﷺ) in his own life. Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Make the last of your prayer at night a <i>witr</i>.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

He reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Hasten to pray a <i>witr</i> before morning.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe a <i>witr</i> in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it he should observe a <i>witr</i> at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is attended by the angels, and that is most excellent.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha said that during the whole night God’s Messenger observed, a <i>witr</i> at the beginning, middle and end, his <i>witr</i> finishing at dawn. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Abu Huraira said, ‘‘My friend* instructed me to observe three practices:

to fast three days every month, to pray two <i>rak'as</i> in the forenoon, and to observe a <i>witr</i> before going to sleep.” *i.e. the Prophet. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Ghudaif b. al-Harith said:

I asked ‘A’isha whether she had seen God’s Messenger bathing because of sexual defilement in the early or the latter part of the night, and she replied, ‘‘He often bathed in the early part of the night and often in the latter part.” Thereupon I said, "God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter! ” I then asked whether he observed a <i>witr</i> in the early or the latter part of the night, and she replied, "He often observed it in the early part and often in the latter part of the night.” Thereupon I said, “God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter! ” I then asked whether he recited the Qur’an in a loud or in a low voice, and she replied, “He often recited it in a loud voice and often in a low voice.” Thereupon I said, “God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter!” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted the last section.

English translation

‘Abdallah b. Abu Qais said he asked ‘A’isha how many <i>rak'as</i> God’s Messenger prayed when observing a <i>witr</i> and she replied, “He used to observe a <i>witr</i> with four and three, six and three, eight and three, and ten and three, never observing one with less than seven or more than thirteen.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Ayyub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The <i>witr</i> is a duty for every Muslim, so if anyone wishes to observe it with five <i>rak'as</i> he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three he may do so; and if anyone wishes to observe it with one he may do so.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

English translation

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God is single (<i>witr</i>) and loves what is single, so observe the <i>witr</i>, you who follow the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the <i>witr</i>, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Zaid b. Aslam reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you oversleeps and misses his <i>witr</i>, he should observe it in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it in <i>mursal</i> form.

English translation

‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Juraij said he asked ‘A’isha what Qur’an passages God’s Messenger used when observing the <i>witr</i> and she replied:

In the first <i>rak'a</i> he recited, “Glorify the name of your most high Lord,”[1] in the second, “Say, O infidels,”[2] and in the third, “Say, He is God, One,”[3] and <i>al-Mu‘awwidhatan</i>.[4] 1. Al-Qur’an; 87 2. Al-Qur’an; 109 3. Al-Qur’an; 112 4. Al-Qur’an; 113-114 Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. Nasa’i transmitted it from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza, Ahmad from Ubayy b. Ka‘b, and Darimi from Ibn ‘Abbas, but the last two did not mention <i>al-Mu'awwidhatan</i>.

English translation

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said:

God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the <i>witr</i>. They were, “O God, guide me among those You have guided, grant me security among those You have granted security, take me into Your charge among those You have taken into Your charge, bless me in what You have given, guard me from the evil of what You have decreed, for You dost decree and nothing is decreed for You. He whom You befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted are You, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

English translation

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that when God’s Messenger gave the salutation in the <i>witr</i> he said, “Glory be to the King most holy.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Nasa’i adding that he said it three times, prolonging the words. In a version by Nasa’i from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza from his father, he said that he used to say three times when he uttered that salutation, “Glory be to the King most holy”, raising his voice when saying it the third time.

English translation

‘Ali said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say at the end of his <i>witr</i>, “O God, I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your anger, and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in Your mercy from Your wrath.* I cannot reckon the praise due to You. You are as You have glorified Thyself.” * Literally ‘in You from You’. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

English translation

Ibn ‘Abbas, on being asked whether he approved of the Commander of the Faithful, Mu'awiya, using only one <i>rak'a</i> in the <i>witr</i>, replied, “He is right; he is versed in the law.” In a version Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Mu'awiya observed a <i>witr</i> after the evening prayer with one <i>rak'u</i> when a client of Ibn ‘Abbas was with him. He went to Ibn ‘Abbas and told him, but he replied, “Leave him alone, for he was a companion of the Prophet.” Bukhari transmitted it.

English translation

Buraida said he heard God’s Messenger say, “The <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone over-sleeps and misses the <i>witr</i>, or forgets it, he should pray when he remembers and when he awakes.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

English translation

Malik said he heard that a man asked Ibn ‘Umar whether the <i>witr</i> was obligatory, and ‘Abdallah said, “God’s Messenger observed the <i>witr</i> and the Muslims observed the <i>witr</i>.” The man kept repeating his question and ‘Abdallah kept saying, “God’s Messenger observed the <i>witr</i> and the Muslims observed the <i>witr</i>.” He transmitted it in <i>al-Muwatta</i>.

English translation

‘Ali said that God’s Messenger used to pray three <i>rak'as</i> when observing the <i>witr</i>, reciting nine <i>suras</i> from <i>al-Mufassal</i> in the course of them, three in each <i>rak'a</i>, the last of them being “Say, He is God, One” (Al-Qur’an; 112). Tirmidhi transmitted it.

English translation

Nafi' said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in Mecca when the sky was cloudy and he was afraid the morning might have come, so he observed a <i>witr</i> with one <i>rak'a</i>. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying one <i>rak'a</i>; then he prayed series of two <i>rak'as</i>, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed a <i>witr</i> with one.” Malik transmitted it.