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

كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار

Chapter 28: Encouragement to pray witr before sleeping

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"My dearest friend advised me (to do) three things: 'To sleep after praying Witr, to fast three days each month, and to pray two rak'ahs of Fajr.'"

Chapter 29: The Prophet's (SAW) prohibition of praying witr twice in one night

It was narrated that Qais bin Talq said

"My father, Talq bin 'Ali visited me one day in Ramadan and stayed with us until the evening. He led us in praying Qiyam that night and prayed witr with us. Then he went down to a masjid and led his companions in prayer until only witr was left. Then he told a man to go forward and said to him: 'Lead them in praying witr, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There should not be two witrs in one night."

Chapter 30: The time for witr

It was narrated that Al-Aswad bin Yazid said

"I asked 'Aishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: 'He used to sleep during the first part of the night, then get up during the time before dawn and pray witr. Then he would go to his bed and if he needed to be intimate he would go to his wife. Then when he heard the Adhan he would get up, and if he was junub he would pour water over himself, otherwise he would perform wudu, then he would go out to the prayer.'"

It was narrated that Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed witr at the beginning (of the night) and at the end, and in the middle. And toward the end of his life, he settled on performing witr at the end of the night."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said

"Whoever prays during the night, let him make the last of his prayers at night witr, because the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to enjoin that."

Chapter 33: Witr on one's mount

It was narrated that Sa'eed bin Yasir said

"Ibn Umar said to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr on a camel."

Chapter 36: How to pray witr with three rak'ahs

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Hisham, that

Aishah told him: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would not say the taslim for two rak'ahs during witr."

Chapter 38: The differing narrations from Abu Ishaq in the hadith of Sa'eed bin Jubair from Ibn 'Abbas concerning Witr

Zakariyya bin Abi Za'idah narrated from Abu Ishaq, from Sa'id bin Jubair, that Ibn Abbas said

"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.'"

Chapter 39: Mentioning the discrepancies in the narration from Habib ibn Abi Thabit in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas concerning Witr

Sufyan narrated from Habib bin Abi Thabit, from Muhammad bin Ali, from his father, from his grandfather, that

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.

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."

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 that Aishah said

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

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 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."

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

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."

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."

Chapter 50: Mentioning the differences from Shu'bah from Qatadah about that

Muhammad bin Bashshar informed us, he said

"Abu Dawud narrated to us from Shu'bah, from Qatadah, who said: I heard 'Azarah narrating from Sa'eed bin 'Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abza, from his fatherThat 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."

(With that chain) from Imran bin Husain that

The Prophet (ﷺ) recited in Witr: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.