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

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) said: The witr is a duty for every Muslim so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'ahs, he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three, he may do so, and if anyone wishes to observe it with one, he may do so.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered salutation in the witr prayer, he said: Glorify be to the king most holy.

My friend (i.e. the Prophet) instructed me to observe three practices which I never leave: he instructed me to fast three days every month, and not to sleep but after observing the witr, and to observe supererogatory prayer in the forenoon while traveling and while resident.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

When we were in the Suffah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked: Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or Al-'Aqiq and bring two large humped and fat she-camels without being guilty of sin and severing ties of relationship ? They (the people) said: Messenger of Allah, we would all like that. He said: If any one of you goes out in the morning to the mosque and learns two verses of the Book of Allah, the Exalted, it is better for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better for him than three she-camels, and so on than their numbers in camels.

"One of you is granted an answer (to his supplication) provided he does not say: 'I prayed but I was not granted an answer.'"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When you make requests to Allah, do so with the palms of your hands, and not backs, upwards.

Abu Dawud said: The narrator Sulaiman b. 'Abd al-Hamid said: according to us Malik b. Yasar was a Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Ikrimah quoted Ibn Abbas as saying: When asking for something you should raise your hands opposite to your shoulders; when asking for forgiveness you should point with one finger; and when making an earnest supplication you should spread out both your hands.

I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a man was offering prayer. He then made supplication: O Allah, I ask Thee by virtue of the fact that praise is due to Thee, there is no deity but Thou, Who showest favour and beneficence, the Originator of the Heavens and the earth, O Lord of Majesty and Splendour, O Living One, O Eternal One.

The Prophet (ﷺ) then said: He has supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when supplicated by this name, He answers, and when asked by this name He gives.

Ata' said: The quilt of Aisha was stolen. She began to curse the person who had stolen it. The Prophet (ﷺ) began to tell her: Do not lighten him.

Abu Dawud said: The meaning of the Arabic words la tasbikhi 'anhu means "do not lessen him or lighten him".

I sought permission of the Prophet (ﷺ) to perform umrah. He gave me permission and said: My younger brother, do not forget me in your supplication.

He (Umar) said: He told me a word that pleased me so much so that I would not have been pleased if I were given the whole world.

The narrator Shu'bah said: I then met Asim at Medina. He narrated to me this tradition and reported the wordings: "My younger brother, share me in your supplication."

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.