8. Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah is single (witr) and loves what is single, so observe the witr, you who follow the Qur'an.

The above mentioned tradition has also been narrated by 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds:

A bedouin said: What are you saying ? He replied: This is neither for you, nor for your companions.

Narrated Kharijah ibn Hudhafah al-Adawi:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us and said: Allah the Exalted has given you an extra prayer which is better for you then the red camels (i.e. high breed camels). This is the witr which Allah has appointed for you between the night prayer and the daybreak.

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us.

Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit:

Ibn Muhayriz said: A man from Banu Kinanah, named al-Makhdaji, heard a person called AbuMuhammad in Syria, saying: The witr is a duty (wajib). Al-Makhdaji said: So I went to Ubadah ibn as-Samit and informed him. Ubadah said: AbuMuhammad told a lie. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say…

Ibn 'Umar said:

A man who lived in the desert asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the prayer at night. He made a sign with his two fingers-in this way in pairs. The witr consists of one rak'ah towards the end in night.

Narrated AbuAyyub al-Ansari:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The witr is a duty for every Muslim so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'ahs, 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.

Narrated Ubayy ibn Ka'b:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe witr with (reciting) "Glorify the name of thy Lord, the most High" (Surah 87), "Say O disbelievers" (Surah 109), and "Say, He is Allah, the One, Allah, the eternally besought of all" (112).

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

AbdulAziz ibn Jurayj said: I asked Aisha, mother of the believers: With which (surah) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe witr? (She reported same as in the Hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, No. 1418) This version adds: In the third rak'ah he would recite: "Say, He is Allah, the One" (Surah 112), and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak" (Surah 113), and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind" (Surah 114).

Narrated Al-Hasan ibn Ali:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me some words that I say during the witr. (The version of Ibn Jawwas has: I say them in the supplication of the witr.) They were: "O Allah, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among…

The aforesaid tradition has been transmitted by Abu Ishaq with the same chain and to the same effect. In the last of this tradition he said:

The version has the words: "He would recite the supplication of the witr." He did not mention the words: "I say them in the witr." Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu al-Hawra' is Rabi'ah b. Shaiban.

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say at the end of his witr: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thy good pleasure from Thy anger, and in Thy forgiveness from Thy punishment, and I seek refuge in Thy mercy from Thy wrath. I cannot reckon the praise due to Thee. Thou art as Thou hast praised Thyself." Ab…

Muhammad reported on the authority of some of his teachers that Ubayy b. Ka'b led them in prayer during Ramadan. He used to recite the supplication (in the witr) during the second half of Ramadan.

Narrated Ubayy ibn Ka'b:

Al-Hasan reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered the people (in tarawih prayer) behind Ubayy ibn Ka'b (who led them). He used to lead them for twenty days (during Ramadan, and would not recite the supplication except in the second half of it (i.e. Ramadan). When the last ten days remained, he kept aw…

Narrated Ubayy ibn Ka'b:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered salutation in the witr prayer, he said: Glorify be to the king most holy.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone oversleeps and misses the witr, or forgets it, he should pray when he remembers.

Abu Hurairah said:

My friend (i.e. the Prophet) instructed me to observe three practices that I do not leave while traveling nor while resident, to pray two rak`ahs in the forenoon, to fast three days every month and not to sleep but after observing the witr.

Abu Al-Darda' said:

My friend (i.e. the Prophet) instructed me to observe three practices which I never leave: he instructed me to fast three days every month, and not to sleep but after observing the witr, and to observe supererogatory prayer in the forenoon while traveling and while resident.

Narrated AbuQatadah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked AbuBakr: When do you observe the witr? He replied: I observe the witr prayer in the early hours of the night. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Umar: When do you observe the witr? He replied: At the end of the night. He then said to AbuBakr: This has followed it wit…

Masruq said:

I asked 'Aishah: When would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observe the witr prayer ? She replied: Any time he observed the witr, sometimes in the early hours of the night, sometimes at midnight and sometimes towards the end of it. But he used to observe the witr just before the dawn when he died.

Ibn 'Umar reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

Make haste to observe the witr prayer before morning.

'Abd Allah b. Abu Qais said:

I asked 'Aishah about the witr observes by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She replied: Sometime he observed the witr prayer in the early hours of the night, sometimes he observed it at the end of it. I asked: How did he recite the Qur'an ? Did he recite the Qur'an quietly or loudly ? She replied: He di…

Ibn 'Umar reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as suing:

Make the last of your prayer at night a witr.

Narrated Talq ibn Ali:

Qays ibn Talq said: Talq ibn Ali visited us on a certain day during Ramadan. He remained with us till evening and broke fast with us. He then stood up and led us in the witr prayer. He then went to his mosque and led them in prayer. When the witr remained, he put forward another man and said: Lead your companions in the witr prayer, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There are no two witrs during one night.

Abu Hurairah said:

By Allah, I shall offer prayer like that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The narrator said: Abu Hurairah used to recite the supplication in the last rak'ah of the noon, night and dawn prayers. He would supplicate for the believers and curse the disbelievers.

Al-Bara' said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite the supplication in the dawn prayer. The version of Ibn Mu'adh has the words: "sunset prayer".

Abu Hurairah said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the supplication in the night prayer for a month. He said (in his supplication): O Allah, rescue al-Walid b. al-Walid, rescue Salamah b. Hisham, rescue the weak believers; O Allah, trample severely on Mudar; O Allah, cause them a famine like that of Joseph. Abu Hu…

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the supplication (Qunut) daily for a month at the noon, afternoon, sunset, night and morning prayers. When he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him" in the last rak'ah, invoking a curse on some clans of Banu Sulaym, Ri'l, Dhakwan and Usayyah, and those who we…

Muhammad reported:

Anas b. Malik was asked whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had recited supplication in the dawn prayer. He replied: Yes. He was again asked whether before bowing or after bowing. He said after bowing. This version of Musaddad adds the words: "For a short period."

Anas b. Malik said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) recited the supplication for a month (in prayer) and then gave it up.

Narrated Someone who prayed with the Prophet:

Muhammad ibn Sirin said: Someone who prayed the morning prayer along with the Prophet (ﷺ) narrated to me: When he raised his head after the second rak'ah, he remained standing for a short while.

Zaid b. Thabit said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built a chamber in the mosque. He used to come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him. They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pe…

Ibn 'Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

Some offer prayer in your houses; do not make them graves.

'Abd Allah b. Habshi al-Khath'ami said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked: Which of the actions is better ? He replied: Standing for long time (in prayer). He was again asked: Which alms is better ? He replied: The alms given by a man possessing small property acquired by his labour.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah show mercy to a man who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens his wife and she prays; if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah show mercy to a woman who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens her husband and he prays; if he refuses she sprinkles water on his face.

Narrated AbuSa'id ; AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a man himself wakes at night and wakens his wife and they pray two rak'ahs together, they are recorded among the men and women who make much mention of Allah.

'Uthman reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur'an.

Mu'adh al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

If anyone recites the Qur'an and acts according to its content, on the Day of Judgement his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this ?

'Aishah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

One who is skilled in the Qur'an is associated with the noble, upright recording angels, and he who falters when he recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

No people get together in a house of the houses of Allah (i.e. a mosque), reciting the Book of Allah, and learning it together among themselves, but calmness (sakinah) comes down to them, (Divine) mercy covers them (from above), and the angels surround them, and Allah makes a mention of them among those who are with Him.

'Uqbah b. 'Amir al-Juhani said:

When we were in the Suffah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked: Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or Al-'Aqiq and bring two large humped and fat she-camels without being guilty of sin and severing ties of relationship ? They (the people) said: Messenger of Allah, we would all …

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe" (1) is the epitome or basis of the Qur'an, the epitome or basis of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated verses.

Abu Sa'id b. al-Mu'alla said that when he was praying the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by him and he called him. He said:

I prayed ant then I came to him. He asked: What prevented you from answering me ? He replied: I was praying. He said: Has not Allah said: "O you who believe, respond to Allah and the Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life ? (8:24) Let me teach you the greatest surah from the Qur'an o…

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was given seven repeated long surahs, while Moses was given six, When he threw the tablets, two of them were withdrawn and four remained.

Ubayy b. Ka'b said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Abu al-Mundhir, which verse of Allah's Book that you have is creates ? I replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He said: Abu al-Mundhir, which verse of Allah's that you have is greatest ? I said: Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal. Thereupon he…

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said:

A man heard another man reciting "Say, He is Allah, One" He was repeating it. When the next morning came, he went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and mentioned to him. The man tool it (this surah) as a small one. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, it is equivalent to a third of the Qur'an.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

I was driving the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during a journey. He said to me: Uqbah, should I not teach you two best surahs ever recited? He then taught me: "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn," and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men." He did not see me much pleased (by thes…

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

White I was travelling with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) between al-Juhfah and al-Abwa', a wind and intense darkness enveloped us, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to seek refuge in Allah, reciting: "I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn," and "I seek refuge in the Lord of men." He th…

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: One who was devoted to the Qur'an will be told to recite, ascend and recite carefully as he recited carefully when he was in the world, for he will reach his abode when he comes to the last verse he recites.

Qatadah said:

I asked Anas about the recitation of the Qur'an by the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: He used to express all the long accents clearly.