Prayers (Salat) - Sahih al-Bukhari 473

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was delivering the sermon and asked him how to offer the night prayers. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'Pray two rak`at at a time and then two and then two and so on and if you are afraid of dawn (the approach of the time of the Fajr prayer) pray one rak`a and that will be the witr for all the rak`at which you have prayed." Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin `Abdullah bin `Umar: A man called the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was in the mosque.

Commentary on the Method of Night Prayer

The Prophet's instruction to pray two rak'at at a time establishes the preferred method for voluntary night prayers (Tahajjud). This demonstrates that night prayers should be performed in pairs, maintaining the established pattern of Islamic prayer units.

The wisdom behind praying in pairs preserves the structure and reverence of salah while allowing flexibility in the number of units prayed. Each pair constitutes a complete prayer session with its own opening takbir and closing tasleem.

Significance of the Witr Prayer

The instruction to conclude with one rak'ah as witr demonstrates that the night prayers should be sealed with an odd number. Witr serves as the culmination and seal of the night vigil, and the single rak'ah transforms an even-numbered sequence into the recommended odd total.

The concession to pray a single rak'ah when fearing the approach of Fajr shows the Prophet's practical guidance, ensuring the witr is not missed due to time constraints while maintaining the sunnah of ending night prayers with an odd number.

Scholarly Insights on Prayer Timing

Classical scholars emphasize that the night prayers are most virtuous in the last third of the night, though permissible anytime after Isha. The mention of "fearing dawn" refers to the advanced time of Fajr, indicating concern that the prayer might extend into the prohibited time after Fajr begins.

The incident occurring during the sermon demonstrates the permissibility of answering religious questions even during khutbah, when the matter concerns essential acts of worship that cannot be delayed.