Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:15179And Qāl

“Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1187)  

أحمد:١٥١٧٩قَالَ

وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لَايَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لِيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
muslim:755aAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Ḥafṣ And ʾAbū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.  

مسلم:٧٥٥aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصٌ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ خَافَ أَنْ لاَ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَشْهُودَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ وَقَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ مَحْضُورَةٌ  

muslim:755bSalamah b. Shabīb > al-Ḥasan b. Aʿyan > Maʿqil / Ibn ʿUbaydullāh > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

He who amongst you is afraid that he may not be able to get up at the end of the night should observe Witr (in the first part) and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting up and praying at night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) should observe it at the end of it, for the recitation at the end of the night is witnessed*, and that is better. *: meaning, "by angels" (Sharh an-Nawawi)  

مسلم:٧٥٥bوَحَدَّثَنِي سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ أَعْيَنَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْقِلٌ وَهُوَ ابْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ خَافَ أَنْ لاَ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ ثُمَّ لْيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ وَثِقَ بِقِيَامٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِهِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

ibnmajah:1187ʿAbdullāh b. Saʿīd > Ibn Abū Ghaniyyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

“Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.”  

ابن ماجة:١١٨٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي غَنِيَّةَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لاَ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لْيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

ahmad:14381Abū Muʿāwiyah And Muḥammad b. ʿUbayd > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

“Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1187)   

أحمد:١٤٣٨١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ خَشِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ ليَِرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ فِي أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

ahmad:14624Ḥasan > Ibn Lahīʿah > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "Whoever fears that he will not be able to perform the night prayers, let him pray Witr and then sleep. And whoever hopes to perform the night prayers, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, as indeed recitation at the end of the night is specially rewarded, and that is better."  

أحمد:١٤٦٢٤حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْكُمْ أَلَّا يَقُومَ بِاللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ ثُمَّ يَنَامُ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ بِقِيَامٍ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

ahmad:14745Mūsá > Ibn Lahīʿah > Abū al-Zubayr > Saʾalt Jābir > al-a man Yūtir ʿIshāʾ Thum Yarqud

[Machine] Jaber reported that I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "Whoever is afraid of not being able to get up at night, let him perform the Tahajjud prayer and then sleep. And whoever hopes to get up for prayer, let him perform the Tahajjud prayer at the end of the night, for reciting at the end of the night is witnessed and that is the best."  

أحمد:١٤٧٤٥حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرًا عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُوتِرُ عِشَاءً ثُمَّ يَرْقُدُ؟ قَالَ

جَابِرٌسَمِعْتُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ ثُمَّ لِيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمُ الْقِيَامَ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

ahmad:14207Wakīʿ > Ibn Abū Laylá > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever thinks that he will not wake up for the later part of the night, let him pray the first part of it. And whoever thinks that he will wake up for the later part of the night, let him pray the later part. Verily, the prayer of the later part of the night is prohibited (makruh), and it is the best."  

أحمد:١٤٢٠٧حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ ظَنَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَسْتَيْقِظَ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَمَنْ ظَنَّ مِنْكُمْ أَنَّهُ يَسْتَيْقِظُ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَهُ فَإِنَّ صَلَاةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَهِيَ أَفْضَلُ  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ تَكُونُ مَحْضُورَةً بِحَضْرَةِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ

ibnhibban:2565ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > ʿĪsá b. Yūnus > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

“Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1187)   

ابن حبّان:٢٥٦٥أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مَنْ خَشِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ»  

bayhaqi:4837Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAlī b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Bishrān al-ʿAdl> Ismāʿīl b. Muḥammad al-Ṣaffār > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Ṣaghānī > Yaʿlá b. ʿUbayd > al-Aʿmash > Abū Sufyān > Jābir

“Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1187)   

البيهقي:٤٨٣٧أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بِشْرَانَ الْعَدْلُ بِبَغْدَادَ أنبأ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الصَّغَانِيُّ ثنا يَعْلَى بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ ثنا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ خَافَ أَنْ لَا يَسْتَيْقِظَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ ثُمَّ لِيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ أَنْ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ
bayhaqi:4838Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ b. Hāniʾ > Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-Ṣaydalānī > Salamah b. Shabīb > al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Aʿyan > Maʿqil b. ʿUbaydullāh > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

He who amongst you is afraid that he may not be able to get up at the end of the night should observe Witr (in the first part) and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting up and praying at night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) should observe it at the end of it, for the recitation at the end of the night is witnessed*, and that is better. *: meaning, "by angels" (Sharh an-Nawawi) (Using translation from Muslim 755b)   

البيهقي:٤٨٣٨وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّيْدَلَانِيُّ ثنا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ ثنا مَعْقِلُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ خَافَ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ ثُمَّ لِيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ وَثِقَ بِقِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِهِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ شَبِيبٍ
suyuti:21475a
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢١٤٧٥a

"مَنْ خَشِيَ مِنْكُمْ أَن لا يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِر اللَّيلِ [فَليُوتِر مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيل] ، وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُم أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَ اللَّيلِ، فَليُوتِر آخِرَ اللَّيل، فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِر اللَّيلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ، وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ".  

[حب] ابن حبّان عن جابر