The Book of Prayer
كتاب الصلاة
Read the English translation first, with the original Arabic directly underneath.
Hadith
And in the narration of Ibn Hibban:
"The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed two Rak'at before the Maghrib (prayer)."
وَفِي رِوَايَةِ اِبْنِ حِبَّانَ : { أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -صَلَّى قَبْلَ اَلْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ } [1]
Muslim has reported from Anas (RA) that he said, "We used to pray two Rak'at after sunset and the Prophet (ﷺ) used to see us, but he neither commanded nor forbade us."
وَلِمُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ] قَالَ [ : { كُنَّا نُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ غُرُوبِ اَلشَّمْسِ , فَكَانَ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -يَرَانَا , فَلَمْ يَأْمُرْنَا وَلَمْ يَنْهَانَا } [1]
Narrated 'Aishah (RA):
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to make the two (voluntary) Rak'at before the Fajr prayer so short that I would wonder whether he recited al-Fatiha (or not). [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ -رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهَا- قَالَتْ : { كَانَ اَلنَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -يُخَفِّفُ اَلرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اَللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ اَلصُّبْحِ , حَتَّى إِنِّي أَقُولُ : أَقَرَأَ بِأُمِّ اَلْكِتَابِ? } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ . [1]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
The Prophet (ﷺ) recited Surat al-Kafirun, and Surat al-Ikhlas in the two (voluntary) Rak'at of the Fajr (prayer). [Reported by Muslim].
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ-رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُ- : { أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَرَأَ فِي رَكْعَتَيْ اَلْفَجْرِ : ( قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا اَلْكَافِرُونَ ) و : ( قُلْ هُوَ اَللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ) } رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ . [1]
Narrated 'Aishah (RA):
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to lie down on his right side, after praying the two (voluntary) Rak'at of the Fajr (prayer). [Reported by al-Bukhari].
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ -رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهَا- قَالَتْ : { كَانَ اَلنَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -إِذَا صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْ اَلْفَجْرِ اِضْطَجَعَ عَلَى شِقِّهِ اَلْأَيْمَنِ } رَوَاهُ اَلْبُخَارِيُّ . [1]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If any of you prays the two Rak'at before the dawn prayer, he should lie on his right side." [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, the latter graded it Sahih (authentic)].
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ اَلرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ اَلصُّبْحِ , فَلْيَضْطَجِعْ عَلَى جَنْبِهِ اَلْأَيْمَنِ } رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ , وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ , وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَصَحَّحَهُ . [1]
Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The (voluntary) night prayers are two Rak'at, two Rak'at (in pairs), and if one fears that the dawn prayer is due, he should then offer one Rak'at which will make what he has prayed an odd number." [Agreed upon).
وَعَنْ اِبْنِ عُمَرَ -رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا- قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ صَلَاةُ اَللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى , فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمْ اَلصُّبْحِ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً , تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ . [1]
The Khamsah reported it - graded Sahib (authentic) by Ibn Hibban - with the wording:
"the (voluntary) day and night prayers are two Rak'at, two Rak'at (in pairs)." an-Nasa'i said, "This is a mistake."
وَلِلْخَمْسَةِ - وَصَحَّحَهُ اِبْنِ حِبَّانَ - : { صَلَاةُ اَللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى" } وَقَالَ النَّسَائِيُّ : "هَذَا خَطَأٌ" . [1]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The most excellent prayer after that which is obligatory is the (voluntary) late night prayer." [Reported by Muslim].
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ أَفْضَلُ اَلصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ اَلْفَرِيضَةِ صَلَاةُ اَللَّيْلِ } أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ . [1]
Narrated Abu Ayub al-Ansari (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "al-Witr prayer is a duty upon every Muslim, so whoever likes to offer it with five Rak'at let him do so and whoever likes to offer it with three let him do so, and whoever likes to offer it with one let him do so." [Reported by al-Arba'ah except at-Tirmidhi. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahib (authentic) and an-Nasa'i held that the stronger view is that it is Mawquf (saying of a companion)].
وَعَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ اَلْأَنْصَارِيِّ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَالَ : { اَلْوِتْرُ حَقٌّ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ , مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُوتِرَ بِخَمْسٍ فَلْيَفْعَلْ , وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُوتِرَ بِثَلَاثٍ فَلْيَفْعَلْ , وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُوتِرَ بِوَاحِدَةٍ فَلْيَفْعَلْ } رَوَاهُ اَلْأَرْبَعَةُ إِلَّا اَلتِّرْمِذِيَّ , وَصَحَّحَهُ اِبْنُ حِبَّانَ , وَرَجَّحَ النَّسَائِيُّ وَقْفَهُ . [1]
Narrated 'Ali bin Abu Talib (RA):
The Witr prayer is not obligatory as the prescribed prayer is [i.e. the five daily prayers], but it is a Sunnah which was established by the practice of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). [at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i reported it, who graded it Hasan (good). al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].
وَعَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ : { لَيْسَ اَلْوِتْرُ بِحَتْمٍ كَهَيْئَةِ اَلْمَكْتُوبَةِ , وَلَكِنْ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -} رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ وَالْحَاكِمُ وَصَحَّحَهُ . [1]
Narrated Jabir (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed during the month of Ramadan. Then they (the Sahabah) waited for him on the following night, but he did not come out and he said, "I feared that the Witr (prayer) might be prescribed for you." [Reported by Ibn Hibban].
وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ { أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَامَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ, ثُمَّ اِنْتَظَرُوهُ مِنْ اَلْقَابِلَةِ فَلَمَّا يَخْرُجْ , وَقَالَ : " إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ اَلْوِتْرُ } رَوَاهُ اِبْنُ حِبَّانَ . [1]
Narrated Kharijah bin Hudhaifah (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Allah the Exalted has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the red camels (high breed camels)." We asked, "What is it O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ." He said, "The Witr between the 'Isha' prayer and up till the break of dawn." [Reported by al-Khamsah except an-Nasa'i and al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].
قُلْنَا : وَمَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ ? قَالَ :
Ahmad reported something similar to the above Hadith from 'Amr bin Shu'aib on the authority of his father who reported it on the authority of 'Amr's grandfather.
وَرَوَى أَحْمَدُ : عَنْ عَمْرِوِ بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ , عَنْ أَبِيهِ , عَنْ جَدِّهِ نَحْوَهُ . [1]
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Buraidah (RA) from his father:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The Witr is a duty, so he who does not offer it, is not one of us." [Reported by Abu Dawud with a Laiyin (weak) chain of narrators and Al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].
وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ , عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ اَلْوِتْرُ حَقٌّ, فَمَنْ لَمْ يُوتِرْ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا } أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ بِسَنَد لَيِّنٍ, وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلْحَاكِمُ . [1] .
The above mentioned Hadith has a Shahid (supporting narration) which is weak, reported by Ahmad from Abu Hurairah (RA).
وَلَهُ شَاهِدٌ ضَعِيفٌ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ . [1] .
Narrated 'Aishah (RA):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not offer more than eleven (voluntary) Rak'at during Ramadan nor during other than Ramadan. He offered four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! (It is beyond description or imitation]. Again he would pray four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! [It is beyond description or imitation]. Then he would pray three (Rak'at of Witr). 'Aishah (RA) said: "I said, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) will you sleep before you pray Witr?" He said, "O 'Aishah my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep." [Agreed upon].
يَا عَائِشَةُ, إِنَّ عَيْنَيَّ تَنَامَانِ وَلَا يَنَامُ قَلْبِي
And in another narration of al-Bukhari and Muslim, ['Aishah (RA)] narrated:
"He used to pray ten Rak'at (of prayer), and making it Witr by one Rak'at, and he used to pray the two (Sunnah) Rak'at of Fajr, so that it became thirteen Rak'at."
وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لَهُمَا عَنْهَا: { كَانَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اَللَّيْلِ عَشْرَ رَكَعَاتٍ, وَيُوتِرُ بِسَجْدَةٍ, وَيَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَيْ اَلْفَجْرِ, فَتِلْكَ ثَلَاثُ عَشْرَةَ } [1] .
Narrated ['Aishah (RA)]:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen Rak'at during the night, offering a Witr out of that with five and sitting only during the last of them. [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: { كَانَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -يُصَلِّي مِنْ اَللَّيْلِ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً, يُوتِرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِخَمْسٍ, لَا يَجْلِسُ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهَا. } [1] .
Narrated ['Aishah (RA)]:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered Witr prayer (on different nights) at various hours, extending (from the 'Isha' prayer) up to the last hour of the night. [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: { مِنْ كُلِّ اَللَّيْلِ قَدْ أَوْتَرَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -فَانْتَهَى وِتْرُهُ إِلَى اَلسَّحَرِ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِمَا . [1] .