The Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day

كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار

Chapter 41: How to pray witr with five rak'ahs, and the differences reported from Al-Hakam in the hadith about Witr

Hisham bin Urwah narrated from his father, from Aishah, that

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray witr with five and he did not sit except in the last (rak'ah) of them.

Chapter 42: How to pray witr with seven

Shu'bah narrated from Qatadah, from Zurarahbin Awfa, from Sa'd bin Hisham, that

Aishah said: "When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) grew old and put on weight, he prayed seven rak'ahs and only sat in the last of them, and he prayed two rak'ahs while sitting after saying the taslim, and that was nine, O my son! And when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered any prayer he liked to persist in doing so."

Mu'adh bin Hisham said

"My father narrated to me, from Qatadah, from Zurarah bin Awfa, from Sa'd bin Hisham, that Aishah said: 'When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed witr with nine rak'ahs, he did not sit until the eighth rak'ah. Then he would praise Allah (SWT) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would get up and he wouldn't say the taslim, then he prayed the ninth, then he sat and remembered Allah (SWT) and supplicated. Then he said a taslim that we could hear. Then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. When he grew older and weaker, he prayed witr with seven rak'ahs and did not sit until the sixth. Then he got up and did not say the taslim, and prayed the seventh, then he said the taslim, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down.'"

Chapter 43: How to pray witr with nine rak'ahs

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Hisham that Aishah said

"We used to prepare siwak and water for wudu for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Allah (SWT) would wake him when He willed to wake him at night, then he would clean his teeth and make wudu, and pray nine rak'ahs, not sitting until the eighth, when he would praise Allah (SWT) and send blessings upon His Prophet and supplicate between them, but he did not say the taslim. Then he prayed the ninth and sat, and said something similar, praising Allah (SWT) and sending blessings upon His Prophet (ﷺ), then he said a taslim that we could hear, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down."

It was narrated from Zurarah bin Awfa

"When Sa'd bin Hisham bin Amir came to visit us, he told us that he came to Ibn Abbas and asked him about the witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: 'Shall I not tell you of the most knowledgeable person on Earth about the witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?' I said: 'Who?' He said: 'Aishah.' So we went to her and greeted her with Salam and entered and asked her. I said: 'Tell me about the witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' She said: 'We used to prepare for him his siwak and water for wudu, then Allah (SWT) would wake him when He willed to wake him at night. He would clean his teeth and perform wudu, then he would pray nine rak'ahs, during which he would not sit until the eighth. Then he would praise Allah (SWT) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would get up and not say the taslim. Then he would pray the ninth, then sit and praise Allah (SWT) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would say a taslim that we could hear. Then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting, and that was eleven rak'ahs, O my son. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) grew older and put on weight, he prayed witr with seven, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting after saying the taslim, and that was nine, O my son. And when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered a prayer, he liked to persist in offering it.'"

It was narrated that Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with nine rak'ahs, then he would pray two rak'ahs sitting down. When he grew weaker he prayed witr with seven rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down."

It was narrated from Aishah that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with nine and pray two rak'ahs sitting down.

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Hisham

That he came to the Mother of the Believers Aishah and asked her about the prayers of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: "He used to pray eight rak'ahs at night and pray witr with the ninth, then he would pray two rak'ahs sitting down."

It was narrated that Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray nine rak'ahs at night."

Chapter 44: How to pray witr with eleven rak'ahs

It was narrated from Aishah that

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak'ahs at night, of which one was witr, then he would lie down on his right side.

Chapter 45: Witr with thirteen rak'ahs

It was narrated that Umm Salamah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with thirteen rak'ahs, but when he grew older and weaker he prayed witr with nine."

Chapter 46: Recitation in witr

It was narrated from Abu Mijlaz that

Abu Musa was between Makkah and Al-Madinah. He prayed 'Isha with two rak'ahs, then he stood and prayed one rak'ah of witr in which he recited one hundred verses from An-Nisa'. Then he said: "I tried my best to place my feet where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his, and to recite what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited."

Chapter 47: Another case of recitation in witr

Sa'eed bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abza narrated from his father, that

Ubayy bin Ka'b said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he said the salam, he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times."

Sa'eed bin Abdur-Rahman bin Abza narrated from his father, that

Ubayy bin Ka'b said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"

It was narrated from Ibn Abdur-Rahman bin Abza from his father that

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"

Chapter 48: Mentioning the differences reported from Shu'bah about that report

Bahz bin Asad, said

"Shu'bah narrated to us, from Salamah and Zubaid, from Dharr, from Ibn Abdur-Rahman bin Abza from his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he said the taslim, he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, raising his voice the third time."

Khalid said

"Shu'bah narrated to us, he said: Salamah and Zubaid informed me, from Dharr, from Ibn 'Abdur-Rahman bn Abza from Abdur-Rahman, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: "Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he said the taslim, he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, raising his voice with Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus the third time."

Mansur reported from Salamah bin Kuhail, from Sa'eed bin Abdur-Rahman bin Abza, from his father, who said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in witr: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he said the taslim, he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, elongating his words the third time."

'Abdul-Malik bin Abi Sulaiman reported from Zubaid, from Sa'eed bin Abdur-Rahman bin Abza, from his father, who said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in witr: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"

Muhammad bin Juhadah reported from Zubaid, Sa'eed bin 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abza, from his father, who said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in witr: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "Say: O you disbelievers!;' and 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he had finished praying, he said: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times."