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

"‏ بَادِرُوا الصُّبْحَ بِالْوِتْرِ ‏"

Make haste to observe the witr prayer before morning.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ وِتْرِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَرُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ مِنْ آخِرِهِ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ قِرَاءَتُهُ أَكَانَ يُسِرُّ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ أَمْ يَجْهَرُ قَالَتْ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ رُبَّمَا أَسَرَّ وَرُبَّمَا جَهَرَ وَرُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ فَنَامَ وَرُبَّمَا تَوَضَّأَ فَنَامَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ قُتَيْبَةَ تَعْنِي فِي الْجَنَابَةِ ‏.‏

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 did it in any way. Sometimes he recited quietly and sometimes loudly, sometimes he took bath and then slept and sometimes he performed ablution and then slept. Abu Dawud said: The narrators other than Qutaibah said: This refer to his bath due to sexual defilement.

"‏ اجْعَلُوا آخِرَ صَلاَتِكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وِتْرًا ‏"

Make the last of your prayer at night a witr.

"‏ لاَ وِتْرَانِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ ‏"

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.

حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ هِشَامٍ - حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ وَاللَّهِ لأُقَرِّبَنَّ بِكُمْ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَكَانَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَقْنُتُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الآخِرَةِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظُّهْرِ وَصَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ الآخِرَةِ وَصَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ فَيَدْعُو لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَيَلْعَنُ الْكَافِرِينَ ‏.‏

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.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، وَمُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَحَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالُوا، كُلُّهُمْ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقْنُتُ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ زَادَ ابْنُ مُعَاذٍ وَصَلاَةِ الْمَغْرِبِ ‏.‏

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي صَلاَةِ الْعَتَمَةِ شَهْرًا يَقُولُ فِي قُنُوتِهِ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ نَجِّ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ اللَّهُمَّ نَجِّ سَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ اللَّهُمَّ نَجِّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلَى مُضَرَ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَلَمْ يَدْعُ لَهُمْ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ وَمَا تَرَاهُمْ قَدْ قَدِمُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

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 Hurairah said: One morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) id not make supplication for them. So I told him about it. He said: You dod not see that they have come (back).

"‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ‏"

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 were standing behind him said: Amen.

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ هَلْ قَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ لَهُ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ أَوْ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ قَالَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ بِيَسِيرٍ ‏.‏

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."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَنَتَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ تَرَكَهُ ‏.‏

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