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

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin:

Ya'la ibn Mumallak said that he asked Umm Salamah about the recitation and prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: What have you to do with his prayer? He would pray, then sleep as long as he had prayed, till morning. She then described his recitation and did so with an exposition word by word.

'Abd Allah b. Mughaffal said:

On the day of the Conquest of Mecca I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) riding his she-camel reciting Surah al-Fath repeating each verse several times.

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Beautify the Qur'an with your voices.

Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:

(The narrator Qutaibah said: This tradition has been narrated by Sa'id b. Abu Sa'id in my collection): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who does not chant the Qur'an is not one of us.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Sa'd (b. Abi Waqqas) from the Prophet (ﷺ) in a similar manner through a different chain of narrators.

Narrated AbuLubabah:

Ubaydullah ibn Yazid said: AbuLubabah passed by us and we followed him till he entered his house, and we also entered it. There was a man in a rusty house and in shabby condition. I heard him say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He is not one of us who does not chant the Qur'an. …

Waki' and Ibn 'Uyainah said (explaining the meaning of taghanni):

This means that the Qur'an makes a man neglect all other things, and be content with it.

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

Allah has not listened to anything as He does to a Prophet chanting the Qur'an with a loud voice.

Narrated Sa'd ibn Ubadah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: No man recites the Qur'an, then forgets it, but will meet Allah on the Day of Judgment in a maimed condition (or empty-handed, or with no excuse).

'Umar b. al-Khattab said:

I heard Hisham b. Hakim (b. Hizam) reciting Surah al-Furqan in a different manner from my way of reciting, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had taught me to recite it. I nearly spoke sharply to him, but I delayed till he had finished. Then I caught his cloak at the neck, and I brought him to the Messe…

Al-Zuhri said:

These modes of reading aimed at the same point, not different in respect of lawful and unlawful.

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Ubayy, I was asked to recite the Qur'an and I was asked: 'In one mode or two modes?' The angel that accompanied me said: 'Say, in two modes', I said: 'In two modes', I was asked again: 'In two or three modes'. The matter reached up to seven modes. He then said: 'Each mode is s…

Ubayy b. Ka'b said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was present at the pool of Banu Ghifar, Gabriel came to him and said: "Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Qur'an) in one harf. He (the Prophet) said: 'I beg Allah His pardon and forgiveness; my community has not strength to do so'. He then came for the second ti…

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Supplication (du'a') is itself the worship. (He then recited:) "And your Lord said: Call on Me, I will answer you" (xI.60).

Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:

Ibn Sa'd said: My father (Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas) heard me say: O Allah, I ask Thee for Paradise, its blessings, its pleasure and such-and-such, and such-and-such; I seek refuge in Thee from Hell, from its chains, from its collars, and from such-and-such, and from such-and-such. He said: I heard the Mes…

Narrated Fudalah ibn Ubayd,:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a person supplicating during prayer. He did not mention the greatness of Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He made haste. He then called him and said either to him or to any other person: If any of you…

'Aishah said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) liked comprehensive supplication and abandoned other kinds.

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

"One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him."

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

"One of you is granted an answer (to his supplication) provided he does not say: 'I prayed but I was not granted an answer.'"

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not cover the walls. He who sees the letter of his brother without his permission, sees Hell-fire. Supplicate Allah with the palms of your hands; do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards. When you finish supplication, wipe your faces with them. Abu Dawud said: …

Narrated Malik ibn Yasar as-Sakuni, al-Awfi:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When you make requests to Allah, do so with the palms of your hands, and not backs, upwards. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Sulaiman b. 'Abd al-Hamid said: according to us Malik b. Yasar was a Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ).

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating Allah in this manner with the palms of his hands and also with their backs upwards.

Narrated Salman al-Farsi:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Your Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Ikrimah quoted Ibn Abbas as saying: When asking for something you should raise your hands opposite to your shoulders; when asking for forgiveness you should point with one finger; and when making an earnest supplication you should spread out both your hands.

In another version Ibn 'Abbas said:

Earnest supplication should be made like this: he raised his hand and made his palms in the direction of his face.

The above mentioned tradition has also been transmitted in a similar manner by Ibn 'Abbas from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Narrated Yazid ibn Sa'id al-Kindi:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) made supplication (to Allah) he would raise his hands and wipe his face with his hands.

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a man saying: O Allah, I ask Thee, I bear witness that there is no god but Thou, the One, He to Whom men repair, Who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and to Whom no one is equal, and he said: You have supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when asked with this name He gives, and when supplicated by this name he answers.

The aforesaid tradition has been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Malik b. Mighwal. This verso adds:

"He has asked Allah using His Greatest Name."

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a man was offering prayer. He then made supplication: O Allah, I ask Thee by virtue of the fact that praise is due to Thee, there is no deity but Thou, Who showest favour and beneficence, the Originator of the Heavens and the earth, O Lord of Majesty…

'Asma daughter of Yazid reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:

"Allah's Greatest Names is in these two verses: "And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God), none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving' and the beginning of Surah Al 'Imran, "A.L.M Allah, there is no deity but He, the Living, the Eternal."

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

Ata' said: The quilt of Aisha was stolen. She began to curse the person who had stolen it. The Prophet (ﷺ) began to tell her: Do not lighten him. Abu Dawud said: The meaning of the Arabic words la tasbikhi 'anhu means "do not lessen him or lighten him".

Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:

I sought permission of the Prophet (ﷺ) to perform umrah. He gave me permission and said: My younger brother, do not forget me in your supplication. He (Umar) said: He told me a word that pleased me so much so that I would not have been pleased if I were given the whole world. The narrato…

Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by me while I was supplicating by pointing with two fingers of mine. He said: Point with one finger; point with one finger. He then himself pointed with the forefinger.

Narrated Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas:

Once Sa'd, with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you something which would be easier (or more excellent) for you than that. He said (it consisted of saying): "…

Narrated Yusayrah, mother of Yasir:

The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded them (the women emigrants) to be regular (in remembering Allah by saying): "Allah is most great"; "Glory be to the King, the Holy"; "there is no god but Allah"; and that they should count them on fingers, for they (the fingers) will be questioned and asked to speak.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) counting the glorification of Allah on fingers. Ibn Qudamah said (in his version: "With his right hands".

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out from Juwayriyyah (wife of the Prophet). Earlier her name was Barrah, and he changed it. When he went out she was in her place of worship, and when he returned she was in her place of worship. He asked: Have you been in your place of worship continuously? S…

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

AbuDharr said: Prophet of Allah. The wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and they have surplus wealth which they give in charity; but we have no wealth which we may give in charity. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: AbuDharr, should I not teach you …

Al-Mughirah b. Shu'bah reported:

"Mu'awiyah wrote to al-Mughirah b. Shu'bah: 'What would the the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite when he gave Taslim (salutation) in the prayer ?' Al-Mughirah dictated and wrote to Mu'awiyah: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say (at the end of the prayer after taslim): 'There is no God but Allah, Al…

Abu Zubair said:

"I heard 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair saying on the pulpit: When the Prophet (ﷺ) finished the prayer, he used to say (at the end of the prayer): 'There is no God but Allah, Alone, Who has no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due, and He is Omnipotent. There is no God but Allah to Whom…

Abu al-Zubair said:

'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair used to recite this supplication after each (prescribed) prayer. He then narrated a similar supplication and added to it: "There is no might and no power except in Allah; there is no god but Allah Whom alone we worship. To Him belongs wealth." The narrator then transmitted the rest of tradition.

Narrated Zayd ibn Arqam:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying (the version of Sulayman has: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say) after his prayer:- "O Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear witness that Thou art the Lord alone Who hast no partner; O Allah, Our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear witnes…

'Ali b. Abi Talib said:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) uttered salutation at the end of the prayer, he used to say: "O Allah, forgive me my former and latter sins, what I have kept secret and what I have done openly, and what I have done extravagance; and what You know better than I do. You are the Advancer, the Delayer, there is no…

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate Allah: "My Lord, help me and do not give help against me; grant me victory, and do not grant victory over me; plan on my behalf and do not plan against me; guide me, and made my right guidance easy for me; grant me victory over those who act wrongfully towards me;…

The aforesaid tradition has also been transmitted by 'Amr b. Murrah through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds:

"And make right guidance easy for me." The narrator did not say: "my right guidance". Abu Dawud said: Sufyan heard eighteen traditions from 'Amr b. Murrah.

'Aishah said:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) uttered taslim, he used to say: "O Allah, You are As-Salam, and from you is As-Salam. You are blessed, O One of Magnificence and Generosity."

Thawban, the client of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) finished the prayer, he asked forgiveness three times and said: "O Allah ....." The narrator then narrated the tradition like that of 'Aishah.

Narrated AbuBakr as-Siddiq:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who asks pardon is not a confirmed sinner, even if he returns to his sin seventy times a day.

Al-Agharr al-Muzani said (Musaddad in his version of this tradition said that he was a Companion of the Prophet):

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: My heart is invaded by unmindfulness, and I ask Allah's pardon a hundred times in the day.