Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two light Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer, after the Muezzin would finish calling the Adhān and after the break of dawn. Then, he used to lie on his right side until the Muezzin would come to him for the Iqāmah.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you prays two Rak‘ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie on his right side." Marwān ibn al-Hakam said to him: "Is it not enough that one of us walks to the mosque until he lies on his right side?" According to the version of ‘Ubaydullāh, he (Abu Hurayrah) replied: 'No.' This statement (of Abu Hurayrah) reached Ibn ‘Umar. He said: "Abu Hurayrah exceeded the limits on himself." He was asked: "Do you approve of what he says?" He replied: "No, but he dared and we showed cowardice." This (criticism of Ibn ‘Umar) reached Abu Hurayrah. He said: "What is my sin if I committed it to memory but they forgot?"

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was on the pulpit: What do you say about the night prayer? He (ﷺ) said: "Two by two (i.e., in sets of two Rak‘ahs). When he fears that dawn is approaching, he should pray one (Rak‘ah), which will make what he has prayed Witr (odd)." And he (ﷺ) used to say: "Make the last of your prayers at night Witr,” for the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded it.

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(Voluntary) prayer in both the day and night is performed two by two."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah's month, Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night."

Abu Ayyūb al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Witr is due, so whoever wants to pray the Witr as seven (units of prayer), let him do so; whoever wants to pray the Witr as five, let him do so; whoever wants to pray the Witr as three, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray the Witr as one, let him do so."

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Witr is not incumbent like the status of the obligatory prayers, but it is a Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started practicing."

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer during the month of Ramadan, offering eight Rak‘ahs as well as the Witr. The next night, we gathered in the mosque and hoped that he would come out to us. However, we remained in the mosque until the morning. Thereafter, we entered the Messenger’s place and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, we were hoping that you would come out and lead us in prayer." He replied: "I feared that the Witr might be made obligatory upon you."

Abu Tamīm al-Jayshāni reported: I heard ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās say: "A man from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed me that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, has added a prayer for you, so offer it in the period between the ‘Ishā' prayer and the Fajr prayer; (it is) the Witr, (it is) the Witr.' Behold, this Companion was Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri." Abu Tamīm said: "Abu Dharr and I were sitting, so Abu Dharr took me by the hand and we set off to Abu Basrah. We found him at the door next to the house of ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās. Abu Dharr said: 'O Abu Basrah, did you hear the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, has added a prayer for you, so offer it in the period between the ‘Ishā' prayer and the Fajr prayer; (it is) the Witr, (it is) the Witr?' He replied: 'Yes.' Abu Dharr asked: 'You heard him?' He replied: 'Yes.' He asked again: 'You heard him?' He replied: 'Yes.'"

Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān (may Allah have mercy upon him) reported that he asked ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) how the Prophet's prayer was in Ramadan. She said: "Neither in Ramadan, nor in any other month, did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) exceed the eleven Rak‘ahs of prayer. He would pray four – and do not ask about their beauty and length; then he would pray another four, and do not ask about their beauty and length either, then he would pray three." ‘Ā'ishah then added: "I asked him: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before performing the Witr prayer?' he said: 'O ‘Ā'ishah, indeed, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.'"

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs in the night prayer including Witr, plus two (voluntary) Rak‘ahs of the Fajr prayer.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O ‘Abdullāh, do not be like so-and-so. He used to offer Qiyām al-Layl and then abandoned it."

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people of the Qur'an, perform the Witr Prayer for, verily, Allah is Witr (single) and loves what is Witr (single, odd)."

Qays ibn Talq reported: Talq ibn ‘Ali visited us one day during Ramadan. He stayed with us until the evening and broke his fast with us. Then he led us in voluntary night prayer and the Witr prayer. Afterwards he went to his mosque and led his companions in prayer. When only the Witr prayer was remaining, he asked another man to step forward and said: ‘Lead your companions in the Witr prayer, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "There should not be two Witr prayers during one night."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perform Witr prayer before the morning."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who has not prayed the Witr prayer before dawn, then there is no Witr for him."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If anyone sleeps before praying Witr or forgets it, let him pray it once he remembers it."

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If anyone fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him offer Witr prayer at the beginning of the night; and anyone expects to wake up at the end of the night, let him offer Witr prayer at the end of the night. Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better."

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha Prayer as four Rak‘ahs and sometimes as much more as Allah willed.

‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked ‘Ā'ishah: "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray the Duha prayer?" She said: "No, unless he came back from being away."