Its excellence and justification: The witr prayer is one that
the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam practiced and which he
encouraged others to practice. As such, praying witr comes
under as-sunnah al-mu'akkadah.
'Ali says: "The witr prayer is not required like your
obligatory prayers, but the Prophet would perform the witr
prayer and say: 'O you people [followers] of the Qur'an,
perform the witr prayer, for Allah is one and He loves the
witr.'" This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud,
Ibn Majah, at-Tirmizhi who calls it hasan, and al-Hakim who
grades it sahih.
The opinion of Abu Hanifah that the witr prayer is
obligatory is a weak opinion. Ibn al-Munzhir says: "I
don't know anyone who agrees with Abu Hanifah on this
point."
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah record that Al-Mukhdaji
[a person of the Kinana tribe] heard from one of the Ansar,
nicknamed Abu Muhammad, that the witr prayer is obligatory. He
went to 'Ibadah ibn as-Samit and mentioned to him what Abu
Muhammad had said. 'Ibadah observed: "Abu Muhammad is
mistaken for I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Five prayers
are ordained by Allah for his slaves. Whoever fulfills them
properly without any shortcoming, he will have a pact with
Allah that He will admit him into paradise. Whoever does not
do them, he will have no pact with Allah, and if He wills He
may punish him and if He wills He may forgive him.'"
Also al-Bukhari and Muslim record from Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullah
that the Prophet said: "Five prayers during the day and
night have been prescribed by Allah." Hearing this a
bedouin asked the Prophet: "Is there anything else upon
me [in the way of prayer]?" The Prophet said: "No,
unless you want to do more voluntarily."
All the scholars agree that the time for the witr prayer
does not begin until after salatul 'isha and it continues
until the time of salatul fajr.
Abu Tamim al-Jishani relates that 'Amr ibn al-'Aas was
addressing the people during a Friday Khutbah and he said:
"Abu Basra related to me that the Prophet said: 'Verily,
Allah has added a prayer for you, and it is the witr prayer.
Pray it between salatul 'isha and salatul fajr.'" Abu
Tamim said: "Abu Zharr took me by my hand and we went in
the mosque to Abu Basra and [Abu Zharr] said: 'Did you hear
what 'Amr just said from the Messenger of Allah?' He answered:
'I heard it from the Messenger of Allah!"' This is
related by Ahmad with a sahih chain.
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari relates: "The Prophet sallellahu
alehi wasallam would make the witr prayer in the first part of
the night or the middle of it or the latter part of it."
Ahmad has reported it with a sound chain.
'Abdullah ibn Abi Qais relates that he asked 'Aishah about
the witr prayer of the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam and
she said: "Sometimes he would make the witr prayer in the
first part of the night and sometimes he would make the witr
prayer in the latter portion of the night." Then
'Abdullah asked: "How was his recitation, audible or
inaudible?" She replied: "He did both. Sometimes he
would be inaudible and sometimes audible. Sometimes he would
make ghusl and sleep and sometimes he would make ablution and
sleep [i.e., when he was sexually defiled]." This is
related by Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Muslim, and at-Tirmizhi. It is
preferred to pray it early if one suspects that one will not
wake during the latter portion of the night. It is, on the
other hand, advisable to delay it if one believes that one
will be able to wake up during the latter portion of the
night.
If one suspects that one will not be able to perform the
prayer in the latter portion of the night, it should be prayed
during the early portion of the night (before sleeping).
Jabir reports that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever of you fears that he will not be able to wake
during the latter portion [of the night], he should make the
witr prayer during the early part [of the night]. And whoever
of you believes that he will be able to wake during the latter
portion of the night, he should make the witr prayer during
that latter portion as it is the blessed time [the angels are
attentive to the prayers in the last portion of the
night]." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, atTirmizhi,
and Ibn Majah.
Jabir also narrates that the Messenger of Allah inquired of
Abu Bakr: "When do you perform the witr prayer?" Abu
Bakr replied: "In the early portion of the night after
the night prayer" Then the Prophet said: "And you, O
'Umar?" He answered: "During the latter portion of
the night." The Prophet said: "As for you, O Abu
Bakr, you have taken the careful way. As for you, 'Umar, you
have taken the way of hardship and firm will." This is
related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Hakim who says it is sahih
according to Muslim's criterion. However, the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallam would pray the witr prayer near dawn
time for it is the most blessed time, as mentioned previously.
'Aisha reports: "Out of the entire night, the
Messenger of Allah would sometimes perform the witr prayer
during the early portion; sometimes he would perform it during
the middle portion; and sometimes in the latter portion of the
night, just before dawn." This is related by the group.
Nevertheless, considering the possibility of losing witr,
the Prophet advised some of his companions not to sleep until
they had performed the witr prayer in order to be on the safe
side.
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas would pray salatul 'isha in the
Prophet's mosque and then would pray one rak'ah of witr
without making any addition to it. The people said to him:
"Abu Ishaq, do you make the witr with just one rak'ah
without adding any (other rak'ah) to it?" He said:
"Yes, for I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'The one
who does not sleep until he makes the witr prayer is
prudent.'" This was related by Ahmad and its narrators
are trustworthy.
It is permissible to perform the witr by praying two rak'at
[and concluding them] and then praying one rak'ah with a
tashahud and taslim. Likewise, it is allowed to pray all the
rak'at with two tashahuds and one taslim. One may pray a
number of rak'at, one after another, without making any
tashahud, save in the one before the last rak'ah in which case
one makes the tashahud and then stands to perform the last
rak'ah wherein one will make another tashahud and end the
prayer with the taslim. One may also make only one tashahud
and the taslim, in the last rak'ah of witr. All of that is
permissible and can be traced to the Prophet.
Talking about the thirteen rak'at in witr, at-Tirmizhi
says: "It has been related from the Prophet that he would
perform the witr prayer with thirteen, nine, seven, five,
three rak'at or one rak'ah."
On the other hand, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim holds: "The
meaning of the statement that the Prophet prayed thirteen
rak'at of witr is that during the night he would pray thirteen
rak'at including the witr prayer, and so all of the night
prayer came to be known as witr."
Ibn al-Qayyim's view is that "the clear, authentic
sunnah is to pray the witr with five or seven connected rak'at
as reported by Umm Salamah in her hadith. [She says] that the
Prophet would perform the witr with five or seven rak'at
without breaking them apart with taslim or any speech."
This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah with a good
chain.
As previously mentioned, al-Bukhari and Muslim quote 'Aishah
saying that the Prophet would perform thirteen rak'at during
the night and would make the witr prayer with five of them,
and he would not 'sit' [during those five] except in the last
rak'ah of them. In another hadith, 'Aishah reports that the
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would perform nine rak'at
during the night and that he would not sit during them until
the eighth rak'ah in which he would make remembrance of Allah,
praising Him, and would make supplication. Then, he would
stand without making the taslim and pray the ninth rak'ah,
after which he would sit, make the tashahud and make the
taslim in such a manner that we could hear him. Then, he would
pray two rak'at after the taslim while sitting, and that would
make eleven rak'at. When he became older and heavier, he would
make the witr with seven rak'at, performing the (last) two
rak'at like the first one. In another version from her, it is
stated: "When he became older and bulkier, he would make
the witr with seven rak'at, and he would not sit during them,
save in the sixth and seventh rak'ah and he would not make the
taslim, save in the seventh rak'ah." In yet another
version, it is stated: "He would pray seven rak'at and
would not sit, save in the last of them." This is related
by the group.
All of the preceding ahadith are authentic and clear and
there is no contradiction in them. As to the Prophet's
statement: "The night prayer is in sets of two [rak'at],"
it is not relevant here. This is an authentic hadith, and the
statement that he observed witr with seven or five rak'at is
equally true. Both statements confirm each other. The seven,
five, nine, and one rak'ah constitute the witr prayer, for
witr is the name given to the one rak'ah offered in conclusion
of whatever is offered prior to it. And the witr of the five,
seven and nine rak'at are all connected like the maghrib which
is described as three connected rak'at. If one breaks apart
the five or seven rak'at with two taslim, like in the eleven
rak'at, it will all be called witr due to the last odd rak'ah.
This is supported by the Prophet's statement: 'The night
prayer is sets of two rak'at. If one fears the coming of the
dawn, he should perform one rak'ah, thereby making all of them
odd [witr].' Therefore, the Prophet's actions and statements
are in agreement, each part confirming the other." The
fact is that the Prophet was responding to a question about
the night prayer when he said: "it is in pairs of
two." He was not speaking about witr, for the man had
asked him about night prayer, and not about the witr.
It is permissible to recite after al-Fatihah any surah
which one wishes to recite. 'Ali says: "There is not a
part of the Qur'an that is obsolete, so make the witr prayer
of whatever you wish from it." However, it is preferred
to recite, in the first of the three rak'at of witr, al-A'la
after reciting al-Fatihah. In the second rak'ah, it is
preferred to recite al-Kafirun. In the third rak'ah, it is
proper to recite the last three surahs of the Qur'an. This is
narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Tirmizhi, who relate from 'Aishah,
on sound authority saying: The Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam would recite Ala'la in the first rak'ah, Al-Kafirun
in the second and the last three surahs in the third rak'ah.
It is part of sunnah to supplicate with qunut in the witr
prayer during the entire year. Ahmad, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i,
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and others record that al-Hassan ibn
'Ali said: "The Messenger of Allah taught me the
[following] words to say in the witr prayer: 'O Allah, guide
me among those whom You have guided. Grant me safety among
those whom You have granted safety. Take me into Your charge
among those whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless me in
what You have given me. Protect me from the evil that You have
decreed, for You decree and nothing is decreed for You. And
there is no humiliation for whom You take as a ward. Blessed
and Exalted are You, our Lord. ' "
At-Tirmizhi grades this hadith as hasan, and says:
"... nothing is known from the Prophet concerning qunut
more authentic than that." Commenting on its status, an-Nawawi
says that its chain is sahih. Ibn Hazm has some reservations
about its soundness, but says: "This hadith, although it
is not one that can be used as a proof, is all that we have
from the Prophet, and a weak hadith is dearer to me than mere
opinion." Ahmad says this is also the view of Abu Musa,
Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Abbas, al-Bara', Anas, al-Hassan al-Basri, 'Umar
ibn 'Abdul'aziz, al-Thauri, Ibn al-Mubarak, and the Hanafi
school. This, an-Nawawi says, gives credibility to the report.
Ash-Shaf'i and others are of the opinion that the qunut in
the witr prayer should be made during the latter half of the
month of Ramadan. This is based on what Abu Dawud records
that, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab convoked the people in prayer,
under the leadership of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and they prayed
together for twenty nights, and he did not make the qunut
except for during the latter half of the month of Ramadan. It
is moreover related that Muhammad ibn Nasr asked Sa'id ibn
Jubair about the qunut in the witr prayer. Sa'id answered:
" 'Umar sent an army that suffered serious setback, which
caused 'Umar to be alarmed, so, when it was the latter half of
Ramadan, he made the qunut to supplicate for them."
It is permissible to make the qunut before going into ruku'
(bowing), or lt may be recited when one stands up straight
after the ruku'. Humaid says: "I asked Anas: 'Is the
qunut before or after the ruku'?' He said: 'We would do it
before or after.'" This was related by Ibn Majah and
Muhammad ibn Nasr. In Fath al-Bari, Ibn Hajar comments that
its chain is faultless.
If one makes the qunut before the ruku', one should make
the takbir and raise one's hands after the recital, and
similarly make another takbir after the qunut, and then bow.
This has been related from some companions. Some scholars hold
that it is preferable to raise one's hands in supplication
during the qunut, while others disagree.
As to wiping face with hands after the qunut, al-Baihaqi
writes: "It is preferred not to do so and to confine
one's self to what the early generations did. They raised
their hands but did not wipe their faces during the
prayer."
It is preferred for a person to say after the taslim:
"Glory be to the Master, the Holy," three times
aloud, saying the third time: "Lord of the angels and the
souls." Abu Dawud and anNasa'i record that Ubayy ibn Ka'b
said: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would recite
al-A'la and al-Kafirun in the witr prayer. When he made the
taslim, he would say: 'Glory be to the Master, the Holy ,'
three times, prolonging the third repetition and saying it
aloud." This is the wording in which an-Nasa'i recorded
it. Ad-Daraqutni has the addition: "And he would say,
'Lord of the angels and the spirits. "' He would then
make supplications and, according to what Ahmad, anNasa'i, Abu
Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmizhi record from 'Ali, he would
say at the end of his witr: "O Allah, I seek refuge in
Your pleasure from your anger. And I seek refuge in Your
granting well being from Your punishment. And I seek refuge in
You from You. I cannot reckon Your praise: You are as You have
praised Yourself."
Whoever has performed the witr prayer and then wishes to do
some more, he may do so but he is not to repeat the witr.
Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and at-Tirmizhi have recorded from
'Ali that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: "There are
no two witr prayers in one night." At-Tirmizhi grades it
hasan.
'Aishah relates that the Prophet would make the taslim in
such a manner that we could hear him and then, he would pray
two rak'at while sitting. This is related by Muslim.
Umm Salamah also narrates that he prayed two rak'at while
sitting, after the witr prayer. This was related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, and others.
According to al-Baihaqi and al-Hakim, the majority of the
scholars maintain that it is correct to make qada' for a
missed witr prayer. Al-Hakim grades the following report by
Abu Hurairah as sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari
and Muslim.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "If the
morning approaches, and you have yet to pray witr, you should
pray the witr prayer." Abu Dawud records from Abu Sa'id
al-Khudri that the Prophet said: "If one of you sleeps
[past the time of] the witr prayer or he forgets it, he should
pray it when he remembers it." Al-'Iraqi says that the
chain of this hadith is sahih.
Ahmad and at-Tabarani record with a hasan chain that the
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would perform the witr
prayer in the morning [if, for some reason, he had missed it
during the night].
Generally speaking, there is a difference of opinion over
what time it may be made up. The Hanafi school holds it should
be performed during those times in which it is not forbidden
to observe prayers. The followers of Shaf'i say that it may be
made up during any time of the night or day, while according
to Malik and Ahmad a missed witr prayer is to be made up for
after the dawn.
It is legitimate to recite the qunut aloud in any of the
five daily prayers at those times when Muslims are faced with
calamities. Ibn 'Abbas relates that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu alehi wasallam made qunut consecutively for one
month in the zuhr, 'asr, maghrib, 'isha, and fajr prayers. At
the end of every prayer, after saying: "Allah hears him
who praises Him" in the last rak'ah, he would supplicate
against Re'l, Zhakwan, and 'Usiyyah'� of Banu Sulaim, and
the people behind him would say 'Ameen'. This is related by
Ahmad and by Abu Dawud adding that these three had killed the
emissaries that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam had sent
to them. 'Ikrimah says: "That was the begining of the
qunut."
Abu Hurairah reports that whenever the Prophet sallallahu
alehi wasallam wanted to supplicate against or for someone, he
would make qunut after going into ruku'. Sometimes, he would
say: "Allah hears him who praises Him. Our Lord, to you
is the praise. O Allah! Save al-Walid ibn al-Walid and Salamah
ibn Hisham and 'Iyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah and the oppressed [and
weak] believers. O Allah, put hardship and pressure on the
tribe of Muzhar and give them years of famine like those
during the time of Yusuf." He would say this aloud in
some of the prayers. Also in the dawn prayer, he would say:
"Oh Allah, curse so and so," cursing two tribes of
Arabs until Allah revealed: "It is no concern at all of
thee [Muhammad] whether He relent toward them or punish them,
for they are evildoers ." This is related by Ahmad and
al-Bukhari .
It is not correct to make qunut in the dawn prayer except
during times of calamity, in which case it may be made in any
of the five daily prayers. Abu Malik al-Ashja'i said: "My
father prayed behind the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
when he was sixteen years old, and he prayed behind Abu Bakr,
'Umar, and 'Uthman. I asked him, 'Did they make the qunut'?'
He said, 'No, son, it is something that has been
innovated."' This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Ibn
Majah, and at-Tirmizhi who calls it sahih. Anas said that the
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would not make the qunut in
fajr unless he was supplicating for a people or supplicating
against a people. This is related by Ibn Hibban, al-Khatib,
and Ibn Khuzaimah who said it is sahih.
It is also related that az-Zubair, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and
'Uthman did not make the qunut in the dawn prayer. This is the
opinion of the Hanafiyyah, the Hanbaliyyah, Ibn al-Mubarak,
al-Thauri, and Ishaq. The followers of Shaf'i are of the
opinion that the qunut is to be made after the ruku' of the
second rak'ah in the obligatory dawn prayer. This opinion is
based on the following two reports. Ibn Sireen narrates that
Anas ibn Malik was asked: "Did the Prophet make the qunut
in the dawn prayer?" He answered: "Yes." They
asked him: "Before the ruku' or after it?" He
replied: "After it." This is related by the group
save at-Tirmizhi.
There is a report from Anas which says: "The Messenger
of Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam did not stop making qunut
during the dawn prayer until he left this world." This is
related by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, adDaraqutni, al-Baihaqi, and
al-Hakim who says it is sahih.
However, there remains some doubt concerning this evidence
since the qunut which they asked Anas about, as is clear in
the narrations of al Bukhari and Muslim, was the qunut during
the time of calamities. Concerning the latter hadith (the one
mentioned in support of their stand), in its chain of
narrators there is Abu Ja'far ar-Razi who is not a credible
source and, thus, one cannot build a case upon his hadith. How
could it be that the Messenger of Allah never stopped
performing this qunut until his death, and yet, the rightly
guided caliphs did not perform it? It is even confirmed that
Anas himself did not make the qunut in the dawn prayer! If we
must accept this latter hadith as authentic, it would mean
that the Prophet always made supplications and remembrance (
zhikr), after the ruku', until his death. This would also come
under qunut and, in this sense, it would be more befitting.
Still, this is one of the matters in which it is acceptable to
have differences of opinion, and one may either do it or leave
it. The best guidance is that of Muhammad sallallahu alehi
wasllam.
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