14. Witr Prayer
Sahih al-Bukhari 990In al-Bukhari or Muslim
أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمُ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى».
A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the night prayer, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The night prayer is two ˹rakahs˺, then two ˹rakahs, and so on˺. Then, when one of you fears that dawn is near, let him pray one rakah, which will make odd what he has already prayed."
Sahih al-Bukhari 991In al-Bukhari or Muslim
أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ بَيْنَ الرَّكْعَةِ وَالرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فِي الْوِتْرِ حَتَّى يَأْمُرَ بِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِهِ
Nafiʿ told that ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rakʿat and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rakʿat).
Sahih al-Bukhari 992In al-Bukhari or Muslim
أَنَّهُ بَاتَ عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ وَهْىَ خَالَتُهُ فَاضْطَجَعْتُ فِي عَرْضِ وِسَادَةٍ وَاضْطَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَهْلُهُ فِي طُولِهَا فَنَامَ حَتَّى انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ أَوْ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ يَمْسَحُ النَّوْمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ آلِ عِمْرَانَ ثُمَّ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى شَنٍّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي فَصَنَعْتُ مِثْلَهُ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى رَأْسِي وَأَخَذَ بِأُذُنِي يَفْتِلُهَا ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ فَقَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ
Once I passed the night in the house of Maimuna (his aunt). I slept across the bed while Allah's Apostle and his wife slept length-wise. The Prophet ﷺ slept till midnight or nearly so and woke up rubbing his face and recited ten verses from Surat "Al-ʿImran." Messenger of Allah ﷺ went towards a leather skin and performed ablution in the most perfect way and then stood for the prayer. I did the same and stood beside him. The Prophet ﷺ put his right hand on my head, twisted my ear and then prayed two rakʿat five times and then ended his prayer with witr. He laid down till the Mu'adh-dhin came then he stood up and offered two rakʿat (Sunnah of Fajr prayer) and then went out and offered the Fajr prayer. (See Hadith 183)
Sahih al-Bukhari 993In al-Bukhari or Muslim
صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَنْصَرِفَ فَارْكَعْ رَكْعَةً تُوتِرُ لَكَ مَا صَلَّيْتَ
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Night prayer is offered as two rakʿat followed by two rakʿat and so on, and if you want to finish it, pray only one rakʿa which will be witr for all the previous rakʿat." Al-Qasim said, "Since we attained the age of puberty we have seen some people offering a three-rakʿat prayer as witr and all that is permissible. I hope there will be no harm in it."
Sahih al-Bukhari 994In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كَانَ يُصَلِّي إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً كَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَتَهُ تَعْنِي بِاللَّيْلِ فَيَسْجُدُ السَّجْدَةَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ أَحَدُكُمْ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَيَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ يَضْطَجِعُ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الأَيْمَنِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ لِلصَّلاَةِ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven rakʿat at night and that was his night prayer and each of his prostrations lasted for a period enough for one of you to recite fifty verses before Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his head. He also used to pray two rakʿat (Sunnah) before the (compulsory) Fajr prayer and then lie down on his right side till the Mu'adh-dhin came to him for the prayer.
Sahih al-Bukhari 995In al-Bukhari or Muslim
قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عُمَرَ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ أُطِيلُ فِيهِمَا الْقِرَاءَةَ فَقَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ وَكَأَنَّ الأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ أَىْ سُرْعَةً
I asked Ibn ʿUmar, "What is your opinion about the two rakʿat before the Fajr (compulsory) prayer, as to prolonging the recitation in them?" He said, "The Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night two rakʿat followed by two and so on, and end the prayer by one rakʿah witr. He used to offer two rakʿat before the Fajr prayer immediately after the Adhan." (Hammad, the sub-narrator said, "That meant (that he prayed) quickly.)"
Sahih al-Bukhari 996In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كُلَّ اللَّيْلِ أَوْتَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَانْتَهَى وِتْرُهُ إِلَى السَّحَرِ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered witr prayer at different nights at various hours extending (from the ʿIsha' prayer) up to the last hour of the night.
Sahih al-Bukhari 997In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي وَأَنَا رَاقِدَةٌ مُعْتَرِضَةً عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُوتِرَ أَيْقَظَنِي فَأَوْتَرْتُ
The Prophet ﷺ used to offer his night prayer while I was sleeping across in his bed. Whenever he intended to offer the witr prayer, he used to wake me up and I would offer the witr prayer too.
Sahih al-Bukhari 998In al-Bukhari or Muslim
اجْعَلُوا آخِرَ صَلاَتِكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وِتْرًا
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Make witr as your last prayer at night."
Sahih al-Bukhari 999In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كُنْتُ أَسِيرُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بِطَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ فَلَمَّا خَشِيتُ الصُّبْحَ نَزَلْتُ فَأَوْتَرْتُ ثُمَّ لَحِقْتُهُ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَيْنَ كُنْتَ فَقُلْتُ خَشِيتُ الصُّبْحَ فَنَزَلْتُ فَأَوْتَرْتُ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَلَيْسَ لَكَ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فَقُلْتُ بَلَى وَاللَّهِ قَالَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُوتِرُ عَلَى الْبَعِيرِ
I was going to Mecca in the company of ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar and when I apprehended the approaching dawn, I dismounted and offered the witr prayer and then joined him. ʿAbdullah bin ʿUmar said, "Where have you been?" I replied, "I apprehended the approaching dawn so I dismounted and prayed the witr prayer." ʿAbdullah said, "Isn't it sufficient for you to follow the good example of Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" I replied, "Yes, by Allah." He said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray witr on the back of the camel (while on a journey)."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1000In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِي السَّفَرِ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ حَيْثُ تَوَجَّهَتْ بِهِ يُومِئُ إِيمَاءً صَلاَةَ اللَّيْلِ إِلاَّ الْفَرَائِضَ وَيُوتِرُ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ
The Prophet ﷺ used to offer (Nawafil) prayers on his Rahila (mount) facing its direction by signals, but not the compulsory prayer. He also used to pray witr on his (mount) Rahila.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1001In al-Bukhari or Muslim
سُئِلَ أَنَسٌ أَقَنَتَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي الصُّبْحِ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَوَقَنَتَ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ قَالَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ يَسِيرًا
Anas was asked, "Did the Prophet ﷺ recite Qunut in the Fajr prayer?" Anas replied in the affirmative. He was further asked, "Did he recite Qunut before bowing?" Anas replied, "He recited Qunut after bowing for some time (for one month)."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1002In al-Bukhari or Muslim
سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ عَنِ الْقُنُوتِ فَقَالَ قَدْ كَانَ الْقُنُوتُ قُلْتُ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ قَالَ قَبْلَهُ قَالَ فَإِنَّ فُلاَنًا أَخْبَرَنِي عَنْكَ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ إِنَّمَا قَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ شَهْرًا أُرَاهُ كَانَ بَعَثَ قَوْمًا يُقَالُ لَهُمُ الْقُرَّاءُ زُهَاءَ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً إِلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ دُونَ أُولَئِكَ وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَهْدٌ فَقَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ شَهْرًا يَدْعُو عَلَيْهِمْ
I asked Anas bin Malik about the Qunut. Anas replied, "Definitely it was (recited)". I asked, "Before bowing or after it?" Anas replied, "Before bowing." I added, "So and so has told me that you had informed him that it had been after bowing." Anas said, "He told an untruth (i.e. "was mistaken," according to the Hijazi dialect). Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Qunut after bowing for a period of one month." Anas added, "The Prophet ﷺ sent about seventy men (who knew the Qur'an by heart) towards the pagans (of Najd) who were less than they in number and there was a peace treaty between them and Messenger of Allah ﷺ (but the Pagans broke the treaty and killed the seventy men). So Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Qunut for a period of one month asking Allah to punish them."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1003In al-Bukhari or Muslim
قَنَتَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ شَهْرًا يَدْعُو عَلَى رِعْلٍ وَذَكْوَانَ
The Prophet ﷺ recited Qunut for one month (in the Fajr prayer) asking Allah to punish the tribes of Ral and Dhakwan.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1004In al-Bukhari or Muslim
كَانَ الْقُنُوتُ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْفَجْرِ
The Qunut used to be recited in the Maghrib and the Fajr prayers.