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.

وَعَنْ نَافِعٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَعَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ بِمَكَّةَ وَالسَّمَاءُ مُغَيِّمَةٌ فَخَشِيَ الصُّبْحَ فَأَوْتَرَ بِوَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ انْكَشَفَ فَرَأَى أَنَّ عَلَيْهِ لَيْلًا فَشَفَعَ بِوَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَلَمَّا خَشِيَ الصُّبْح أوتر بِوَاحِدَة. رَوَاهُ مَالك