Prayer

Abu Ayyub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The <i>witr</i> is a duty for every Muslim, so if anyone wishes to observe it with five <i>rak'as</i> he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three he may do so; and if anyone wishes to observe it with one he may do so.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God is single (<i>witr</i>) and loves what is single, so observe the <i>witr</i>, you who follow the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the <i>witr</i>, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Zaid b. Aslam reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you oversleeps and misses his <i>witr</i>, he should observe it in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it in <i>mursal</i> form.

‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Juraij said he asked ‘A’isha what Qur’an passages God’s Messenger used when observing the <i>witr</i> and she replied:

In the first <i>rak'a</i> he recited, “Glorify the name of your most high Lord,”[1] in the second, “Say, O infidels,”[2] and in the third, “Say, He is God, One,”[3] and <i>al-Mu‘awwidhatan</i>.[4] 1. Al-Qur’an; 87 2. Al-Qur’an; 109 3. Al-Qur’an; 112 4. Al-Qur’an; 113-114 Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. Nasa’i transmitted it from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza, Ahmad from Ubayy b. Ka‘b, and Darimi from Ibn ‘Abbas, but the last two did not mention <i>al-Mu'awwidhatan</i>.

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said:

God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the <i>witr</i>. They were, “O God, guide me among those You have guided, grant me security among those You have granted security, take me into Your charge among those You have taken into Your charge, bless me in what You have given, guard me from the evil of what You have decreed, for You dost decree and nothing is decreed for You. He whom You befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted are You, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that when God’s Messenger gave the salutation in the <i>witr</i> he said, “Glory be to the King most holy.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Nasa’i adding that he said it three times, prolonging the words. In a version by Nasa’i from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza from his father, he said that he used to say three times when he uttered that salutation, “Glory be to the King most holy”, raising his voice when saying it the third time.

‘Ali said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say at the end of his <i>witr</i>, “O God, I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your anger, and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in Your mercy from Your wrath.* I cannot reckon the praise due to You. You are as You have glorified Thyself.” * Literally ‘in You from You’. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas, on being asked whether he approved of the Commander of the Faithful, Mu'awiya, using only one <i>rak'a</i> in the <i>witr</i>, replied, “He is right; he is versed in the law.” In a version Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Mu'awiya observed a <i>witr</i> after the evening prayer with one <i>rak'u</i> when a client of Ibn ‘Abbas was with him. He went to Ibn ‘Abbas and told him, but he replied, “Leave him alone, for he was a companion of the Prophet.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Buraida said he heard God’s Messenger say, “The <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the <i>witr</i> is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone over-sleeps and misses the <i>witr</i>, or forgets it, he should pray when he remembers and when he awakes.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Malik said he heard that a man asked Ibn ‘Umar whether the <i>witr</i> was obligatory, and ‘Abdallah said, “God’s Messenger observed the <i>witr</i> and the Muslims observed the <i>witr</i>.” The man kept repeating his question and ‘Abdallah kept saying, “God’s Messenger observed the <i>witr</i> and the Muslims observed the <i>witr</i>.” He transmitted it in <i>al-Muwatta</i>.

‘Ali said that God’s Messenger used to pray three <i>rak'as</i> when observing the <i>witr</i>, reciting nine <i>suras</i> from <i>al-Mufassal</i> in the course of them, three in each <i>rak'a</i>, the last of them being “Say, He is God, One” (Al-Qur’an; 112). Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Nafi' said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in Mecca when the sky was cloudy and he was afraid the morning might have come, so he observed a <i>witr</i> with one <i>rak'a</i>. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying one <i>rak'a</i>; then he prayed series of two <i>rak'as</i>, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed a <i>witr</i> with one.” Malik transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to pray sitting, and would recite the Qur’an while sitting; then when about thirty or forty verses of his recitation remained he stood up and recited while standing. Then he bowed, then he prostrated himself, and after that he did the same kind of thing in the second <i>rak'a</i>. Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Salama said the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray two <i>rak'as</i> after the <i>witr</i>. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah added that they were short ones which he prayed while sitting.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to observe a <i>witr</i> with one <i>rak'a</i>, then he performed two <i>rak'as</i> reciting the Qur’an in the course of them seated. When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Thauban reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “This wakefulness is a toil and a burden, so when one of you observes a <i>witr</i> he should pray two <i>rak'as</i>. If he gets up during the night, well and good; otherwise they will serve for him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Umama said the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray the two of them after the <i>witr</i> seated, and recited in the course of them, “When the earth is shaken’’, 1 and "Say, O infidels."2 Al-Qur’an; 99 Al-Qur’an; 109 Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger wished to invoke a curse or a blessing on someone he stood in supplication after bowing, and when he said, “God listens to him who praises Him,” he often said, “Praise be to You, our Lord! O God, rescue al-Walid b. al-Walid, Salama b. Hisham and ‘Ayyash b. Abu Rabi'a.1 O God, trample severely on Mudar and cause them a famine like that of Joseph,”2 saying that in a loud voice. And he would sometimes say in the course of his prayer, “O God, curse so and so and so and so of the tribes of the Arabs,” till God revealed, “You have nothing to do with the matter. . .”3 1. These were men who were persecuted for their faith and held prisoners. 2. The famine in the time of Joseph lasted seven years. 3. Al-Qur’an; 3:128. (Bukhari and Muslim.)