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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
ibnmajah:1202 – Abū Dāwud Sulaymān b. Tawbah > Yaḥyá b. Abū Bukayr > Zāʾidah > ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿAqīl > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Bakr: ‘When do you pray Witr?’ He said: ‘At the beginning of the night, after ‘Isha’.’ He said: ‘And you, O ‘Umar?’ He said: ‘At the end of the night.’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘As for you, O Abu Bakr, you have seized the trustworthy handhold (i.e., you want to be on the safe side), and as for you, O ‘Umar, you have seized strength (i.e., you are confident that you have the resolve to get up and pray Witr).’” Another chain with similar meaning.  

ابن ماجة:١٢٠٢ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ تَوْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَىَّ حِينٍ تُوتِرُ قَالَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ قَالَ فَأَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ فَقَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْوُثْقَى وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْقُوَّةِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ تَوْبَةَ أَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad, Suyūṭī
ahmad:14323 – Abū Saʿīd a freed slave of Banī Hāshim > Zāʾidah > ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Bakr, "When do you perform the night prayer?" Abu Bakr replied, "At the beginning of the night after twilight." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then asked Umar, "And what about you, Umar?" He replied, "At the end of the night." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "As for you, Abu Bakr, you have taken hold of trust, and as for you, Umar, you have taken hold of strength."  

أحمد:١٤٣٢٣ – وَجَدْتُ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مَوْلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ مَتَى تُوتِرُ؟ قَالَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ قَالَ فَأَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ قَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالثِّقَةِ وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْقُوَّةِ  

ahmad:14535 – ʿAbd al-Ṣamad And Muʿāwyah b. ʿAmr > Zāʾidah > ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿAqīl > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Bakr, "At what time do you perform the prayer of the Witr?" He said, "The first part of the night after the darkness." He then asked, "And what about you, O Umar?" He replied, "The last part of the night." The Prophet ﷺ then said, "As for you, O Abu Bakr, you have taken the softness, and as for you, O Umar, you have taken the strength."  

أحمد:١٤٥٣٥ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ وَمُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَيَّ حِينٍ تُوتِرُ؟ قَالَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ قَالَ فَأَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ؟ قَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ ﷺ أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْوُثْقَى وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْقُوَّةِ  

suyuti:165-282b – ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿUqayl > Jābir > Qāl al-Nabi ﷺ Lʾabiá Bakr a Ḥīn Tūtir > Awwal al-Layl Baʿd al-ʿAtamah > Faʾnt Yā ʿUmar > Ākhir al-Layl > al-Nabi ﷺ Ammā Ant
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:١٦٥-٢٨٢b –

" عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ لأَبِى بَكْرٍ: أَىَّ حِينٍ تُوتِرُ؟ قَالَ: أَوَّلَ اللَّيلِ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ، قَالَ: فَأنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ؟ فَقَالَ: آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ : أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ! فَإِنَّكَ أَخَذْتَ بِالْوُثْقَى (*)، وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ! فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْقُوَّةِ (* *) ".  

ابن جرير