The Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day
كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار
Chapter 36: How to pray witr with three rak'ahs
He asked Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, about how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray in Ramadan. She said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not pray more than eleven rak'ahs during Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray three." Aishah said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you pray witr?' He said: 'O Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.'"
Aishah told him: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would not say the taslim for two rak'ahs during witr."
Chapter 37: Mentioning the different wordings in the reports from Ubayy bin Ka'b concerning witr
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with three rak'ahs. In the first he would recite: "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High" in the second: "Say: O you disbelievers!", and in the third: "Say: He is Allah, (the) One". And he would say the Qunut before bowing, and when he finished he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, elongating the words the last time.
"In the first rak'ah of witr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite: "GLorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" in the second; "Say: O you disbelievers!" and in the third; "Say: He is Allah, (the) One."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite: "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High;" in witr, in the second rak'ah he would recite: "Say: O you disbelievers!"; and in the third "Say: He is Allah, (the) One". And he only said the taslim at the end, and he would say- meaning after the taslim: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy)' three times."
Chapter 38: The differing narrations from Abu Ishaq in the hadith of Sa'eed bin Jubair from Ibn 'Abbas concerning Witr
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with three rak'ahs. In the first he would recite "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High;" in the second: "Say: O You disbelievers!" and in the third: "Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"
Ibn Abbas used to pray witr with three (units) with (the Surahs): "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High" (Surah Al-A'la), "Say: O You disbelievers" (Surah Al-Kafirun), and "Say: He is Allah, (the) One" (Surah Al-Ikhlas).
Chapter 39: Mentioning the discrepancies in the narration from Habib ibn Abi Thabit in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas concerning Witr
The Prophet (ﷺ) got up at night and cleaned his teeth, then he prayed two rak'ahs, then he slept. Then he got up and cleaned his teeth, then he performed wudu and prayed two rak'ahs, until he had prayed six. Then he prayed witr with three rak'ahs, and prayed two rak'ahs.
"I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he got up and performed wudu, cleaned his teeth while reciting this verse until he finished: 'Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.' Then he prayed two rak'ahs, then he went back and slept until I heard him breathing deeply. Then he got up and performed wudu and cleaned his teeth. Then he prayed two rak'ahs, then he slept, then he got up and performed wudu and cleaned his teeth and prayed two rak'ahs and prayed witr with three rak'ahs."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) woke up and cleaned his teeth,' and he quoted the hadith.
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray eight rak'ahs at night and pray witr with three, and pray two rak'ahs before Fajr."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with thirteen rak'ahs, and when he grew older and weaker he prayed witr with nine."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray nine (rak'ahs) at night, then when he grew older and put on weight he prayed seven."
Chapter 40: Mentioning the different narrations from Az-Zuhri, for the hadith of Abu Ayyub concerning Witr
" Ibn Shihab informed me, saying: 'Ata bin Yazid narrated to me from Abu Ayyub:That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Witr is a duty, and whoever wants to pray witr with seven (rak'ahs), let him do so; whoever wants to pray witr with five, let him do so, whoever wants to pray witr with three, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray witr with one, let him do so.'"
"Az-Zuhri narrated to me, he said: 'Ata bin Yazid, from Abu Ayyub:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Witr is a duty, and whoever wants to pray witr with seven (rak'ahs), let him do so; whoever wants to pray witr with five, let him do so, whoever wants to pray witr with three, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray witr with one, let him do so.'"
"Ata' bin Yazid narrated to me that he heard Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari say: 'Witr is a duty, so whoever wants to pray witr with five rak'ahs let him do so, whoever wants to pray witr with three, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray witr with one, let him do so.'"
"Whoever wants to pray witr with seven (rak'ahs) let him do so, and whoever wants to pray witr with five (rak'ahs) let him do so, and whoever wants to pray witr with three rak'ahs, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray witr with one rak'ah, let him do so, and wants to do so gesturing, let him do so.'"
Chapter 41: How to pray witr with five rak'ahs, and the differences reported from Al-Hakam in the hadith about Witr
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with five and seven rak'ahs which he did not separate with any taslim nor talk."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with seven or five (rak'ahs), not separating between them with the taslim."
"Witr is seven and no less than five." I mentioned that to Ibrahim and he said: "From whom did he quote that?" I said: "I do not know." Al-Hakam said: "Then I performed Hajj and I met Miqsam and said to him: 'From whom (did you narrate that)?' He said: 'From the trustworthy one, from Aishah and from Maimunah.'"