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.

ذِكْرُ خَبَرٍ سَادِسٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ غَيْرُ فَرْضٍ

ibnhibban:2415Abū Yaʿlá > Abū al-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī > Yaʿqūb b. ʿAbdullāh al-Qummī > ʿĪsá b. a neighboriyah > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed with us eight units of prayer and performed the Witr prayer during the month of Ramadan. When the approaching night came, we gathered in the mosque and hoped that he would come out and pray with us. We waited there until morning and then said, "O Messenger of Allah, we hoped that you would come out and pray with us." He said, "I disliked or feared that the Witr prayer would be made obligatory on you."  

ابن حبّان:٢٤١٥أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقُمِّيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ جَارِيَةَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَأَوْتَرَ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ الْقَابِلَةُ اجْتَمَعْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَجَوْنَا أَنْ يَخْرُجَ فَيُصَلِّيَ بِنَا فَأَقَمْنَا فِيهِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ رَجَوْنَا أَنْ تَخْرُجَ فَتُصَلِّيَ بِنَا قَالَ «إِنِّي كَرِهْتُ أَوْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْوِتْرُ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ibn Ḥibbān

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الدَّالِّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ لَيْسَ بِفَرْضٍ

ibnhibban:2409ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad al-Azdī > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Abū al-Rabīʿ al-Zahrānī > Yaʿqūb al-Qummī > ʿĪsá b. a neighboriyah > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed eight units and the Witr prayer with us in the month of Ramadan. When it was time for childbirth, we gathered in the mosque and hoped that he would come out to us. But he did not come out until we entered the mosque and said, "O Messenger of Allah, we gathered in the mosque and hoped that you would pray with us." He said, "I feared that the Witr prayer might be made obligatory upon you, or that it might become difficult for you."  

ابن حبّان:٢٤٠٩أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ * قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ الْقُمِّيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ جَارِيَةَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَأَوْتَرَ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الْقَابِلَةُ اجْتَمَعْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَجَوْنَا أَنْ يَخْرُجَ إِلَيْنَا فَلَمْ نَزَلْ فِيهِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْنَا ثُمَّ دَخَلْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اجْتَمَعْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَجَوْنَا أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ بِنَا فَقَالَ «إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَوْ كَرِهْتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْوِتْرُ*»