6. Book of Witr
٦۔ كِتَابُ الْوِتْرِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Witr (the nightly odd numbered prayer) is a right (that it should be performed)." Then the narrated something similar.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «الْوِتْرُ حَقٌّ» فَذَكَرَهُ بِنَحْوِهِ
Perhaps I saw the Prophet ﷺ praying witr (odd numbered night prayer) while the people were standing for Fajr prayer.
رُبَّمَا «رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يُوتِرُ وَقَدْ قَامَ النَّاسُ لِصَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When one of you wakes up in the morning and has not performed the Witr prayer, let them perform it."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا أَصْبَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ وَلَمْ يُوتِرْ فَلْيُوتِرْ»
The Witr prayer should not resemble the Maghrib prayer
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not perform Witr (the odd numbered nightly prayer) to three rakahs making is seem like the Maghrib prayer. Rather extend it to five, or seven, nine, or eleven rakahs, or even more than that."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَا تُوتِرُوا بِثَلَاثٍ تَشَبَّهُوا بِصَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنْ أَوْتِرُوا بِخَمْسٍ أَوْ بِسَبْعٍ أَوْ بِتِسْعٍ أَوْ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not perform Witr (the odd numbered nightly prayer) to three rakahs making is seem like the Maghrib prayer. Rather extend it to five, or seven."
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَا تُوتِرُوا بِثَلَاثٍ وَلَا تَشَبَّهُوا بِصَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ أَوْتِرُوا بِخَمْسٍ أَوْ بِسَبْعٍ»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not offer the taslim (salam) after the first two rakahs of the Witr prayer.
«كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَا يُسَلِّمُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ مِنَ الْوِتْرِ»
The Witr prayer of Umar and the People of Madinah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the Witr prayer with three rakahs, and he would do the taslim only in the last rakah. And this is the Witr prayer of Amir al-Muminin, Umar b. al-Khattab, and it was from that the people of Madinah also adopted it."
«كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ لَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ» وَهَذَا وِتْرُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ «وَعَنْهُ أَخَذَهُ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ»
It was said to Al-Hasan that Ibn Umar used to do the taslim after the two rakahs of Witr. He replied, "Umar ᴿᴬ was more knowledgeable than him; he would rise up for the third rakah with the takbir."
قِيلَ لِلْحَسَنِ إِنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْوِتْرِ فَقَالَ «كَانَ عُمَرُ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ كَانَ يَنْهَضُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ»
He used to perform the Witr prayer with three rakahs without the tashahhud (sitting) in between them, and he would not do the tashahhud except in the last rakah."
أَنَّهُ كَانَ «يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ وَلَا يَتَشَهَّدُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ»
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite in the two Rak'ahs of Witr after them "Subhanallahi Walhamdulillahi Wa La Ilaha Illallah Wallahu Akbar" (Glorified is Allah, and praised is Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest), and recite in Witr "Qul Huwallahu Ahad" (Say, He is Allah, the One), and say "A'udhu bi Rabbil Falaq" (I seek refuge with the Lord of Daybreak), and say "A'udhu bi Rabbin Nas" (I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind). Sa'id bin Abi Maryam narrated it from Yahya bin Ayyub.
«أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الَّتِي يُوتِرُ بَعْدَهُمَا بِ سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى وقُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ وَيَقْرَأُ فِي الْوِتْرِ بِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ وقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ وقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ» تَابَعَهُ سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَيُّوبَ
[Machine] The translation is: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the Witr prayer with three units. In the first unit, he would recite "Subhanak Allahumma wa bihamdika, tabarakasmuka, wa ta'ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghairuka" (Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. Blessed is Your name and exalted is Your majesty. There is no deity worthy of worship except You). In the second unit, he would recite "Qul ya ayyuhal kafirun" (Say, O disbelievers). And in the third unit, he would recite "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" (Say, He is Allah, the One). Then he would seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak (Al-Falaq) and seek refuge in the Lord of mankind (An-Nas)."
«أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولَى بِ سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ وقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ وقُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ»
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform Tahiyyatul-Wudu (a prayer after performing ablution) consisting of five units (rak'ahs). He would not sit down except in the fifth unit, and he would only give the salaam (conclude the prayer) in the fifth unit.
«أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ» يُوتِرُ بِخَمْسِ رَكَعَاتٍ وَلَا يَجْلِسُ إِلَّا فِي الْخَامِسَةِ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي الْخَامِسَةِ
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Witr (odd-numbered prayers) is a right, so whoever does not perform Witr is not among us."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «الْوِتْرُ حَقٌّ فَمَنْ لَمْ يُوتِرْ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا»
قال البخاري عنده مناكير
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us and said: Allah the Exalted has given you an extra prayer which is better for you then the red camels (i.e. high breed camels). This is the witr which Allah has appointed for you between the night prayer and the daybreak. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1418)
خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَمَدَّكُمْ بِصَلَاةٍ هِيَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ وَهِيَ الْوِتْرُ فَجَعَلَهَا لَكُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنَ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ إِلَى صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ»
"The Prophet would perform Witr with thirteen [Rak'ah]. When he was older and became weak he performed Witr with seven." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 457)
«كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ وَضَعُفَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ»
It was narrated from ʿAli ؓ that The Prophet ﷺ used to say at the end of his Witr ʿO Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot praise You enough, You are as You have praised Yourself.” (Using translation from Aḥmad 751)
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي آخِرِ وِتْرِهِ «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ»