Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr

I asked 'Aishah: When would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observe the witr prayer ? She replied: Any time he observed the witr, sometimes in the early hours of the night, sometimes at midnight and sometimes towards the end of it. But he used to observe the witr just before the dawn when he died.

Make haste to observe the witr prayer before morning.

Abu Dawud said: The narrators other than Qutaibah said: This refer to his bath due to sexual defilement.

Make the last of your prayer at night a witr.

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.

By Allah, I shall offer prayer like that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The narrator said: Abu Hurairah used to recite the supplication in the last rak'ah of the noon, night and dawn prayers. He would supplicate for the believers and curse the disbelievers.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite the supplication in the dawn prayer. The version of Ibn Mu'adh has the words: "sunset prayer".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the supplication in the night prayer for a month. He said (in his supplication): O Allah, rescue al-Walid b. al-Walid, rescue Salamah b. Hisham, rescue the weak believers; O Allah, trample severely on Mudar; O Allah, cause them a famine like that of Joseph. Abu Hurairah said: One morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) id not make supplication for them. So I told him about it. He said: You dod not see that they have come (back).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the supplication (Qunut) daily for a month at the noon, afternoon, sunset, night and morning prayers. When he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him" in the last rak'ah, invoking a curse on some clans of Banu Sulaym, Ri'l, Dhakwan and Usayyah, and those who were standing behind him said: Amen.

This version of Musaddad adds the words: "For a short period."

The Prophet (ﷺ) recited the supplication for a month (in prayer) and then gave it up.

Muhammad ibn Sirin said: Someone who prayed the morning prayer along with the Prophet (ﷺ) narrated to me: When he raised his head after the second rak'ah, he remained standing for a short while.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built a chamber in the mosque. He used to come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him. They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pebbles and sand on his door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to time in anger and said: O People, you kept on doing this till I thought that it will be prescribed for you. Offer your prayers in your houses, for a man's prayer is better in his house except obligatory prayer.

Some offer prayer in your houses; do not make them graves.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked: Which of the actions is better ? He replied: Standing for long time (in prayer). He was again asked: Which alms is better ? He replied: The alms given by a man possessing small property acquired by his labour.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah show mercy to a man who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens his wife and she prays; if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah show mercy to a woman who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens her husband and he prays; if he refuses she sprinkles water on his face.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man himself wakes at night and wakens his wife and they pray two rak'ahs together, they are recorded among the men and women who make much mention of Allah.

The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur'an.

If anyone recites the Qur'an and acts according to its content, on the Day of Judgement his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this ?

One who is skilled in the Qur'an is associated with the noble, upright recording angels, and he who falters when he recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.