Qays ibn Talq said: Talq ibn Ali visited us on a certain day during Ramadan. He remained with us till evening and broke fast with us. He then stood up and led us in the witr prayer. He then went to his mosque and led them in prayer. When the witr remained, he put forward another man and said: Lead your companions in the witr prayer, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: There are no two witrs during one night. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1439)   

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَا وِتْرَانِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ  

[Machine] Abdullah ibn Umar used to perform the "witr" prayer at the beginning of the night. When he got up to pray, he would cancel his "witr" prayer and then pray again. He would then perform another "witr" prayer at the end of the night. Omar used to perform his "witr" prayer at the end of the night and he was better than both Abdullah and myself. Abu Bakr used to perform the "witr" prayer at the beginning of the night and then intercede with another prayer at the end of the night, intending by that to pray in pairs (two units at a time) and not cancel his "witr" prayer.  

كَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ يُوتِرُ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِذَا قَامَ نَقَضَ وِتْرَهُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ آخِرَ صَلَاتِهِ أَوَاخِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ يُوتِرُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَكَانَ خَيْرًا مِنِّي وَمِنْهُمَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُوتِرُ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَشْفَعُ آخِرَهُ يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ يُصَلِّي مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَلَا يَنْقُضُ وِتْرَهُ  

[Machine] If you pray the first part of the night prayer, do not pray the last part of it. And if you pray the last part of it, do not pray the first part of it. And I asked 'Aa'idh ibn 'Amr, who was one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, about breaking the odd number prayer (Witr). He said, "If you pray the first part of it, do not pray the last part of it. And if you pray the last part of it, do not pray the first part of it." Al-Bukhari narrated the hadith of 'Aa'idh ibn 'Amr in the sahih. He said, "And he was among the companions of the tree, from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ."  

إِذَا أَوْتَرْتَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ فَلَا تُوتِرْ آخِرَهُ وَإِذَا أَوْتَرْتَ آخِرَهُ فَلَا تُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَسَأَلْتُ عَائِذَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ عَنْ نَقْضِ الْوِتْرِ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَوْتَرْتَ أَوَّلَهُ فَلَا تُوتِرْ آخِرَهُ وَإِذَا أَوْتَرْتَ آخِرَهُ فَلَا تُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ أَخْرَجَ الْبُخَارِيُّ حَدِيثَ عَائِذِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو فِي الصَّحِيحِ قَالَ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الشَّجَرَةِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

[Machine] He asked Abu Hurairah how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the Witr prayer. Abu Hurairah remained silent, then he asked him again and he remained silent, then he asked him again and he remained silent. Then he said, "If you wish, I will tell you how I do it." He said, "I asked him to tell me, so he said, 'When I pray Isha, I pray five units afterward, then I sleep. If I wake up during the night, I pray two units at a time. If morning comes, I pray the odd-numbered units.'"  

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ كَيْفَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُوتِرُ؟ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فَسَكَتَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَخْبَرْتُكَ كَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ أَنَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي فَقَالَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتُ الْعِشَاءَ صَلَّيْتُ بَعْدَهَا خَمْسَ رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ أَنَامُ فَإِنْ قُمْتُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّيْتُ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِنْ أَصْبَحْتُ أَصْبَحْتُ عَلَى وِتْرٍ  

[Machine] That is the one who plays with his lute, meaning the one who tightens the strings and then sleeps. When he wakes up, he performs a voluntary unit of prayer, then he prays, meaning then he repeats his lute.  

ذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَلْعَبُ بِوِتْرِهِ يَعْنِي الَّذِي يُوتِرُ ثُمَّ يَنَامُ فَإِذَا قَامَ شَفَعَ بِرَكْعَةٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى يَعْنِي ثُمَّ أَعَادَ وِتْرَهُ  

[Machine] Ali said: "There are three types of Witr prayer. Whoever wants to perform the first part of the night Witr, they should pray Witr and then wake up to pray a variation of Rak'ah (unit of prayer) and perform two more Rak'ahs until morning. Then they should perform Witr. And if they wish, they can pray two Rak'ahs until morning. And if they wish, they can perform the last part of the night Witr."  

قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ الْوِتْرُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَنْوَاعٍ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَنْ يُوتِرَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ أَوْتَرَ ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَشَاءَ أَنْ يَشْفَعَهَا بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ ثُمَّ يُوتِرَ فَعَلَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ  

[Machine] I heard Ali saying: "Witr prayer has three types, so whoever wishes can perform the first part of the night, then if he prays, pray two units of prayer until morning. And whoever wishes can perform the Witr prayer, then if he prays, pray one unit as a mediator for his Witr, then pray two units, then perform Witr. And whoever wishes, does not perform Witr until it is his last prayer."  

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا ؓ يَقُولُ الْوِتْرُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَنْوَاعٍ فَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ إِنْ صَلَّى صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ صَلَّى صَلَّى رَكْعَةً شَفْعًا لِوِتْرِهِ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ وَمَنْ شَاءَ لَمْ يُوتِرْ حَتَّى يَكُونَ آخِرَ صَلَاتِهِ