4.

Statement of Prayer

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بيان الصلاة

Salim b. Abul Ja'd told of a man of Khuza'a saying, “I wish I had prayed and been at rest.” When the people seemed to disapprove of his saying that, he replied that he had heard God’s Messenger say, “Declare that the time for prayer has come, Bilal, and give us rest by it.”* * This probably means that prayer brings peace of mind. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'as, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray onerak'awhich will make his prayer an odd number for him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Thewitr* is arak'aat the end of the night.” * Literally ‘single’, or ‘odd’, used of an odd number of rak'as prayed at some time during the night. Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to pray thirteen rak'as during the night, observing awitrout of that with five, and sitting only during the last of them. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sa‘d b. Hisham said:I went to ‘A’isha and said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about the nature of God’s Messenger.” She asked, “Do you not recite the Qur’an?” On my replying that I certainly did, she said, “The Prophet’s nature was the Qur’an.”* I said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about thewitrof God’s Messenger.” She replied, “I used to prepare his toothstick and his water for ablution, and God would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the toothstick, perform ablution, and pray nine rak'as, sitting only during the eighth of them, then he would make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth. After that he would sit, make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then utter a salutation loud enough for me to hear. He would then pray two rak'as sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'as, sonny. But when God’s Messenger grew old and became fleshy he observed awitrof seven, doing in the two rak'as, as he had done formerly, and that made nine, sonny. When God’s prophet prayed a prayer he liked to keep on observing it, but when sleep or pain made it impossible for him to get up during the night; he prayed twelve rak'as during the day. I am not aware of God’s prophet having recited the whole Qur’an in a night, or praying through a whole night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan.” *i.e. the good characteristics included in the Qur’an were shown by the Prophet in his own life. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, "Make the last of your prayer at night awitr.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet as saying, "Hasten to pray awitrbefore morning.” Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe awitrin the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it he should observe awitrat the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is attended by the angels, and that is most excellent.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that during the whole night God’s Messenger observed, awitrat the beginning, middle and end, hiswitrfinishing at dawn. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said, ‘‘My friend* instructed me to observe three practices:to fast three days every month, to pray two rak'as in the forenoon, and to observe awitrbefore going to sleep.” *i.e. the Prophet. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ghudaif b. al-Harith said:I asked ‘A’isha whether she had seen God’s Messenger bathing because of sexual defilement in the early or the latter part of the night, and she replied, ‘‘He often bathed in the early part of the night and often in the latter part.” Thereupon I said, "God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter! ” I then asked whether he observed awitrin the early or the latter part of the night, and she replied, "He often observed it in the early part and often in the latter part of the night.” Thereupon I said, “God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter! ” I then asked whether he recited the Qur’an in a loud or in a low voice, and she replied, “He often recited it in a loud voice and often in a low voice.” Thereupon I said, “God is most great. Praise be to God who has given latitude in the matter!” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted the last section.

‘Abdallah b. Abu Qais said he asked ‘A’isha how many rak'as God’s Messenger prayed when observing awitrand she replied, “He used to observe awitrwith four and three, six and three, eight and three, and ten and three, never observing one with less than seven or more than thirteen.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Ayyub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Thewitris a duty for every Muslim, so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'as 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 (witr) and loves what is single, so observe thewitr, 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,* thewitr, 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 hiswitr, he should observe it in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it inmursalform.

Abdul Aziz bin Juraij narrates, we asked Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, which Surahs the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite in Witr. She said, "He used to recite in the first Rak'ah Al-A'la, in the second Al-Kafirun and in the third Al-Ikhlas and Mu'awwidhatain." (This narration is) weak.

Imam Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated this hadith from Abdur Rahman bin Abza. It is authentic. Narrated by al-Nasa'i.

Imam Ahmad narrated this hadith from Ubayy ibn Ka'b. Sahih, narrated by Ahmad.

Imam Darimi narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). Ubayy bin Ka’b and Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) did not mention “Al-Mu’awwidhatayn” (The two Surahs seeking refuge, i.e., Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas). [It is] Sahih (authentic). Narrated by Darimi.

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said:God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during thewitr. They were, “O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted art Thou, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Ubayy ibn Ka'b reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would finish the Witr prayer and say the salam, he would say, "Subhana al-Malik al-Quddus (Glory be to the King, the Most Holy)." (Abu Dawud, Nasa'i). And they added: "Three times, in a prolonged voice." (Sahih, narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i).

And in the narration of al-Nasa'i, from the chain of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abza from his father: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would finish the (final) salutation (of the prayer), he would say "Subhana-al-Malik al-Quddus" (Glory be to the King, the Holy) three times, and he would raise his voice the third time. Sahih, narrated by al-Nasa'i.

‘Ali said that the Prophet used to say at the end of hiswitr, “O God, I seek refuge in Thy good pleasure from Thine 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 glorified Thyself.” * Literally ‘in Thee from Thee’. 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 onerak'ain thewitr, replied, “He is right; he is versed in the law.” In a version Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Mu'awiya observed awitrafter the evening prayer with onerak'uwhen 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, “Thewitris a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; thewitris a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; thewitris 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 thewitr, 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 thewitrwas obligatory, and ‘Abdallah said, “God’s Messenger observed thewitrand the Muslims observed thewitr.” The man kept repeating his question and ‘Abdallah kept saying, “God’s Messenger observed thewitrand the Muslims observed thewitr.” He transmitted it inal-Muwatta.

‘Ali said that God’s Messenger used to pray three rak'as when observing thewitr, reciting ninesurasfromal-Mufassalin the course of them, three in eachrak'a, 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 awitrwith onerak'a. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying onerak'a; then he prayed series of two rak'as, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed awitrwith 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 secondrak'a. Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Salama said the Prophet used to pray two rak'as after thewitr. 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 awitrwith onerak'a, then he performed two rak'as 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 as saying, “This wakefulness is a toil and a burden, so when one of you observes awitrhe should pray two rak'as. If he gets up during the night, well and good; otherwise they will serve for him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Umama that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to offer these two rak'ahs after Witr while sitting, and he would recite Surah Zilzal and Surah Al-Kafirun in them. Its chain of narration is Hasan (good). It was narrated by Ahmad.