ONE HADITH A DAY
Narrated by Ibn Majah - An-Nasaa’i - Narrated by Abu Daoud · Authentic hadith
عن أبي أيوب الأنصاري رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «الوِتر حَق، فمن شاء أوْتَر بِسبْعٍ، ومن شاء أوْتَر بخمس، ومن شاء أوْتَر بثلاث، ومن شاء أوْتَر بواحدة».
“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."”
Meaning of the Hadīth: "The Witr is due" means that the Witr is either an affirmed act of the Sunnah or that it is an obligation. In this Hadīth, however, the Witr is affirmed, for there are explicit proofs that it is not an obligation, such as the following: - Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullāh, a man from Najd, asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the prayers to observe; he was told to observe only five prayers in the day and the night. Other prayers would be voluntary [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]. Since the Witr was not included, it is not obligatory. - The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said : "Five prayers that Allah enjoined on His slaves. For anyone who performs them and misses nothing from them out of neglect, there is a pledge from Allah to admit him into Paradise.'' Proofs that Witr is not obligatory: - Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet sent Mu‘ādh to Yemen to tell them, among other things, that Allah enjoined five prayers on them to perform in the day and the night [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]. That is evidence is strong because the Prophet sent Mu‘ādh to Yemen just before the Prophet died. - ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Witr is not obligatory." Therefore, being ''due'', the Witr is a confirmed act of the Sunnah. It could be prayed as seven, five, three, or one unit of prayer. In principle, optional night prayer is made two by two Rak‘ahs, as a Hadīth indicates [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]. However, it is possible to pray all night units of prayer with one Tashahhud. Umm Salamah (…