Book 4: Prayer

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 one rak'a which will make his prayer an odd number for him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The witr* is a rak'a at 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 a witr out 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 the witr of 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 a witr of 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 (ﷺ) in his own life. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Make the last of your prayer at night a witr.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Hasten to pray a witr before 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 a witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it he should observe a witr at 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, a witr at the beginning, middle and end, his witr finishing 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 a witr before going to sleep.” *i.e. the Prophet. (Bukhari and Muslim.)