Indexed OCR Text

The Sunna Prayer of Fajr
7. Haritha ibn Mudrib narrares:
'Abdullah ibn Mas ud and Abu Musa & left Sa'id ibn al- As [after visiting
him]. The congregation [for Fajr] had just begun, so 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
performed two rak ats [sunna], then joined in the prayer with everyone
else. As for Abu Musa, he joined in the row [immediately] (Musannaf
Ibn Abi Shayba 2:251).
8. Abu 'I-Darda' + would say regarding the sunna of Fajr,
Yes, by Allah! If I ever enter [the masjid] and find everyone in prayer, I
proceed to a pillar of the masjid and perform two rak ats quickly; then I
join the congregation and perform my Fajr with them (Musannaf Abd
al-Razzaq 1:443).
9. Abu '1-Darda' , according to another report, states:
I [sometimes] approach the people while they are standing in rows per-
Forming Fajr. 1 perform two rak ats [sunna] then I join them (Musannaf
Ibn Abi Shayba 2:251).
IO. It is reported regarding Ibn 'Umar A
He would sometimes join in the congregation [immediately] and at other
times he would first perform his two rak ats at one side of the masjid
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:251).
IL. Sha'bi narrates regarding Masruq:
He entered the masjid to find the people engaged in the Fajr prayer. Since
he had not yet performed the two rak ats \sunna], he performed them
at one side, then joined the congregation in prayer (Musannaf Ibn Abi
Shayba 2:251, Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq 2:444).
12. It is reported that Hasan al-Basri had instructed;
When you enter the masjid and find the imam in prayer and you have
not yet performed the two rak ats of Fajr, perform them [first]; then join
the imam [in the fard prayer] (Musannaf Abd al-Razzay 2:445, Sharh
Ma'ani 'L-athar 1:376).
These are just some of the many hadiths which highlight the practice
of the Companions and Followers. A great jurist (faqih] like 'Abdullah
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FIQH AL-IMAM
ibn Mas'ud de, as well as many other prominent Companions, such as
Abu 'I-Darda' and Ibn 'Umar &, would first perform the two-rak ats
sunna of Fajr and then proceed to join the main congregation. Hasan
al-Basri, a prominent Follower [tabi'i] who requires no introduction,
orders in clear words that the sunna prayer be performed before join-
ing the congregation.
OTHER REASONS FOR THE HANAFI OPINION
(1) The emphasis regarding the sunna of Fajr is far greater than that
of any other sunna prayer. It has been ordered that the sunna of Fajr
be performed even if there is a danger of horses trampling over the
person. Due to this emphasis, there should remain no doubt as to
why the Hanafis excluded the sunna prayer of Fajr from the command
of the hadith that informs us of only fard prayers being permissible
once the congregation begins.
(2) It is sunna to make a lengthy recitation of the Qur'an during the
fard of Fajr. Hence, it is possible that one could quickly perform his
two rak'ats sunna first and then join in with the imam during the
first rak'a, the second rak'a, or just before the imam makes the salam.
This is normally difficult in other prayers where a relatively shorter
recitation is made and the number of rak'ats recommended before
them is four.
(3) In the above hadith, the command regarding the impermissibil-
ity of any non-fard prayer at the time of congregation cannot be
taken as a general command encompassing all prayers. If it was an
absolutely general command, then it would also be prohibited for
someone to perform the sunna prayer in his house once he was aware
that the congregation had commenced in the masjid. However, many
scholars have permitted that the sunna prayer be performed at home,
even though the congregation may have already begun in the masjid.
Consequently, this leaves no room to criticize the Hanafi school for
excluding the sunna of Fajr from the prohibition. Many other scholars
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The Sunna Prayer of Fajr
have also not taken the command to be an absolutely general one.
(4) The word "maktuba" has been used in the hadith to describe the
fard prayer. The general meaning of this word includes the missed
[gada'] prayers also, which indicates that it would be permissible to
perform the missed prayers even after the congregation has begun.
However, some scholars do not allow this. From this, it is understood
that the hadith (see beginning of chapter) is not taken literally, just
as its command is not taken in a general sense.
After mentioning these points, it could be concluded that the
Hanafi school has reconciled both types of hadiths by saying that
the person should only perform the sunna prayer first if he feels he
can acquire the congregational-fard prayer before it ends. Otherwise,
he should enter immediately into the congregation with the imam.
In this way, the person benefits by attaining the reward of the sunna
prayer of Fajr and also the reward of performing the fard salat in
congregation.
ONE MORE POINT TO REMEMBER
At times, some narrations are quoted which explicitly exempt the
Fajr sunna from the command of the hadith (which mentions the
impermissibility of prayer once the congregational fard prayer has
commenced). However, those narrations are usually weak, and have
neither been used as a basis for the Hanafi position nor as evidence
to prove the Hanafi opinion against other opinions.
Likewise, there are some narrations which specifically indicate that
the sunna rak ats of Fajr are included in the prohibition of the hadith.
The narrations mention details of a Companion confirming with the
Messenger : "Are the sunna rak ats of Fajr also invalid if they are
performed after the congregation has begun?" The Messenger @ of
Allah answers him in the affirmative saying, "Yes! They are also invalid."
These narrations, being even weaker than the others, will not stand
as evidence to strengthen the other group's opinion.
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8
How Many Rak'ats in Witr?
WITR HAS BEEN noted to be one of the most complex issues of prayer.
There are approximately seventeen aspects concerning the witr prayer
around which there lie differences of opinion. However, in this chapter
we will focus mainly on the following three issues: (1) How many
rak'ats is the witr prayer? (2) How many salams in the witr prayer? (3)
Is performing one rak'a sufficient for witr?
There are numerous hadiths which report the number of rak ats to
be performed in witr. However, due to many inconsistencies found
in them, it becomes very difficult to formulate an opinion that is in
complete agreement with the literal meaning of each narration. It is
therefore necessary to interpret some of these narrations in order to
harmonize their meaning with other similar narrations.
In this chapter, various narrations on the witr prayer will be ana-
lyzed in depth in an attempt to establish those procedures of perform-
ing witr that are most in conformance with the sunna.
1. How MANY RAK'ATS IS THE WITR PRAYER?
The first discussion is concerning the number of rak'ats that should
be performed for witr.
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FIQH AL-IMAM
THE VARIOUS OPINIONS
According to Imam Shafi'l, witr could be performed in units of one,
three, five, seven, nine, or even eleven rak ats. He states in his book
Kitab al-Umm that one rak'a can be performed as witr. However,
'Allama Qastalani relates in his commentary of Sahib al-Bukhari,
Irshad al-sari, that Qadi Abu 'I-Tayyib was of the opinion that it
is undesirable [makrub] to perform just one rak'a for witr. (Irshad
al-sari 2:259)
Qadi Abu '1-Tayyib is regarded as one of the greatest scholars of
Shafi'i figh and was also one of its main teachers in Iraq during his
time. He studied under Imam Daraqutni, and among his students
were the likes of Khatib al-Baghdadi and Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi.
Following this, there is a difference of opinion among the Shafi is
as to how the rak'ats of wirr should be performed. One opinion is
that during Ramadan, three rak'ats should be performed with one
set of salams, and in other months with two sets-one in the second
rak'a and the other in the third. Another opinion states that one set of
salams should be made if the witr is being performed in congregation,
and two sets if it is being performed individually.
The opinions of Imam Malik and Ahmad are similar to that of
Imam Shafi'i with just a few minor differences. The commentator of
Sifr al-sa'ada relates an opinion of Imam Ahmad which states that a
single rak'a of witr is undesirable [makruh]. According to the Imam,
a person must perform some rak ats before performing the witr. A
similar opinion has been reported from Imam Malik as well. He relates
a hadith in his Muwatta on the authority of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqgas in
which the Companion is described as performing a single mak'a for
witr. Following this narration, Imam Malik states:
Our practice is not based on this, since witr [in our opinion] is at least
three rak ats (Muwatta Imam Malik 77).
The above review of opinions can be concluded as follows.
According to Imam Shafi'i, witr can be performed in any number of
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The Rak'ats of Witr
odd rak'ats, ranging from one to eleven. Imam Ahmad's main and
more popular view is that the witr be performed as one rak'a and the
rak'ats performed prior to it be considered as giyam al-layl or tahajjud
[night-vigil prayer] (al-Mughni). Imam Malik also does not recom-
mend performing a single rak'a for witr. He recommends that at least
three rak'ats be performed. Imam Abu Hanifa's opinion is simply
that witr should be performed as three continuous rak'ats with two
sittings-one in the second rak'a and the other in the third-with
salams to be performed in the final sitting only.
THE HADITHS ON THIS ISSUE
Before looking at the apparently conflicting hadiths, we will first
look at those hadiths which clearly state that witr consists of three
rak'ats.
1. It is reported from Abu Salama that
he asked 'A'isha + regarding the prayer of the Messenger of Allah 4%
during Ramadan. She explained, "The Messenger of Allah &s would not
perform more than eleven rak ats, neither in Ramadan nor out of it. He
would perform four rak ats, and do not ask of their beauty and length;
followed by another four, and do not ask of their beauty and length; after
which he would perform three [witr]." 'A'isha & continued, "I asked, 'O
Messenger of Allah! Do you sleep before you perform wim"He replied,
'O 'A'isha! My eyes sleep, but my heart does not" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1:154,
Sahib Muslim 1:254, Sunan al-Nasd'i 1:248, Sunan Abi Dawud 196).
In this narration, Umm al-mu'minin [Mother of the Believers] A'isha
mentions that the witr prayer performed by Allah's Messenger
consisted of three rak'ats.
2. Sa'd ibn Hisham relates that
'A'isha & informed him that the Messenger of Allah % did not make
salams in the second rak'a of witr (Sunan al-Nasal 1:248, Muwatta Imam
Muhammad 151).
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FIQH AL-IMAM
3. This narration has also been mentioned by Imam Hakim with a
slight variation:
The Messenger of Allah # would not make salams in the first two rak'ats
of witr (al-Mustadrak 1:304).
Imam Hakim then states, "[This narration is] authentic according
to the conditions of Imam Bukhari and Muslim." 'Allama Dhahabi
agreed with him.
4. The following is another variation of the above narration related
by Imam Hakim:
The Messenger of Allah #s would perform three rak'ats of witr making
salams only at the end [in the final rak'a]. This was the practice of the
Leader of the Faithful 'Umar ibn al-Khattab + and it is from him that
the people of Madina acquired this practice (al-Mustadrak 1:304).
5. Sa'd ibn Hisham % narrates:
The Messenger of Allah #8, after completing the 'Isha prayer, would enter
his home and perform two nak ats, followed by another two more lengthier
than the first. Thereafter, he would perform the witr prayer without any
interval in between [i.e. without salams in the second rak a], He would
then perform two rak ats sitting down with the bowing and prostration
also sitting down (Musnad Ahmad 6:156 U).
6. Abdullah ibn Qays narrates:
I asked A'isha &, "How many rak ats of witr did the Messenger of Allah
perform?" She replied, "Four with three, six with three, or eight with
three. He would not perform more than thirteen rak'ats for witr or less
than seven" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1:200).
In this hadith, the whole tahajjud prayer has been described as witr,
whereas in reality only three rak ats were with, and the remaining
four, six, or eight rak ats were tahajjud. This is the reason why Umm
al-mu'minin 'A'isha & distinguished between the three rak ats of witr
and the various other rak'ats in the above narrations,
7. "Abd al-'Aziz ibn Jurayj narrates:
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The Rak'ats of Witr
I asked 'A'isha & regarding the chapters the Messenger of Allah & would
recite in witr. She replied, "He would recite 'Sabbih isma rabbik al-a'la'
[Surat al-A'la] in the first rak'a, 'Qul ya'ayyuha 'Ikafirun' [Surat al-Kafirun]
in the second, and 'Qul huwallahu ahad' [Surat al-Ikhlas] along with the
Mir'awwadhatayn' [Surat al-Falaq and al-Nas] in the third" (Sunan Abi
Dawud 1:208, Sunan al-Tirmidhi rao6, Sunan Ibn Maja 1:82).
Imam Tirmidhi has declared this hadith to be sound [hasan].
8. Imam Hakim has related a very similar narration from A'isha&
through 'Amra bint "Abd al-Rahman and has stated it as being in
accordance with the strict conditions of both Imam Bukhari and
Muslim. 'Allama Dhahabi has also verified this by stating that the
hadith has been transmitted through a reliable chain of narrators
(al-Mustadrak 1:305).
9. Muhammad ibn 'Ali reports from his father, who narrates on the
authority of his father, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas &, that
the Messenger of Allah # rose at night, cleaned his teeth with a siwak
[toothstick], and performed two rak ats of prayer, then went back to sleep.
He again rose, used the siwak and made wudu, and thereafter performed
another two rak ats of prayer, [on and on] until he had completed six
rak'ats [in this manner]. He then performed three rak ats with followed
by two rak ats \ nafl] (Sahih Muslim 1:261, Sunan al-Nasa'i 1:249).
10. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas & has also reported the following narration
regarding the Messenger's # witr prayer:
During the night before dawn, the Messenger of Allah & would perform
eight rak ats [tahajjud] and three rak'ats witr, followed by two rak ats [naff]
(Sunan al-Nasa'i 1:249).
II. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas & narrates:
The Messenger of Allah # would perform three rak ats witr. He would
recite "Sabbih isma rabbik al-a'la" [Surat al-A'la] in the first rak'a, "Qal
ya'ayyuha '1-kafirun" [Surat al-Kafirun] in the second, and "Qul buwal-
labu ahad" [Surat al-Ikhlas] in the third (Sunan al-Tirmidhi In06, Sunan
al-Nasa'i 1:249, Sunan Ibn Maja 82).
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FIQH AL-IMAM
Numerous other Companions in their narrations have also mentioned
the Messenger's @ recitation of these three surats [chapters] during
witr in the above mentioned order:
(1) Abd al-Rahman ibn Abza 4% (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:298).
(2) Ubay ibn Ka'b 4 (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:300).
(3) 'Ali ibn Abi Talib 4% (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1:106).
(4) "Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa + (Majma al-zawaid 1:241 U).
(5) "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud & (Majma' al-zawa'id 1:2.41 U).
(6) Nu'man ibn Bashir e (Majma' al-zawa'id 1:241 U).
(7) Abu Hurayra (Majma" al-zawa'id 1:241 U).
(8) 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar & (Majma al-zawa'id 1:241 U).
(9) 'Imran ibn Husayn de (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:298)
(10) Abu Khaythama through his father Mu'awiya ibn Khadij
(Majma al-zawaid 1:241 U).
The narrations of these Companions further support the opinion that
witr consists of three rak'ats.
12. Thabit al-Bunani reports that Anas ibn Malik addressed him
saying:
O Thabit! Take this from me, for you will not hear it from anyone more
trustworthy than myself, since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah
#, who acquired it from Jibril, and Jibril acquired it from Allah
The Messenger of Allah is performed the 'Isha prayer while I was in his
company, followed by six rak ats [nafl], during which he made salams at
every second rak a. Thereafter, he performed three rak ats witr with salams
at the very end (Kanz al-'ummal 4:196 U).
The great historian and hadith master Ibn Asakir has narrated this
hadith through a reliable chain.
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The Rak'ats of Witr
From the above narrations, a number of points are derived: (1) it
is established that witr is three rak ats; and (2) that the three rak'ats
ure to be performed together and concluded with salams at the end
of the third rak'a.
THE COMPANIONS AND FOLLOWERS ON THIS ISSUE
1. Miswar ibn Makhrama reports:
We finished burying Abu Bakr de, when 'Umar de remembered that he
had not yet performed witr. He stood up and we formed rows behind
him. He lead us in three rak ats and made salams only at the end [in the
third rak a] (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:293 U, Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq
3:20 U).
2. Ibrahim al-Nakh'ay reports that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab 4 said,
I would not neglect the three rak ats of witr, even if I were to receive red
camels in exchange (Muwatta Imam Muhammad Iso).
In those times red camels were considered valuable assets.
3. Hasan al-Basri was informed that
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar & would make salams in the second mak'a of witr.
Hasan al-Basri informed that 'Umar was a greater jurist than [his son],
and his practice was to say the takbir and stand up from the second rak'a
[for the third without making salams) (al-Mustadrak 1:304).
4. Makhul reports:
'Umar ibn al-Khattab & would perform three rak ats of witr without
salams in between (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:295),
5. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud de says,
The rak'ats of witr are three similar to the daytime witr prayer (i.e. Maghrib)
((Muwatta Imam Muhammad Iso, Majma' al-zawa'id 2:242 U)].
6. Ibrahim al-Nakh'ay reports that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud e said,
One rak'a does not suffice for witr. (Muwatta Imam Muhammad 150).
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FIQH AL-IMAM
7. It is reported from Anas 4 that
witr is three rak ats (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:293).
8. Abu Mansur reports:
I asked Ibn 'Abbas & regarding the number of nak ats in witr. He replied,
"Three rak ats" (Sharh Ma'ani 'L-athar).
9. 'Ara' reports that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas * said:
Wirr is similar to the Maghrib prayer (Minvatta Imam Muhammad 150).
Io. Hasan al-Basri reports:
Ubay ibn Ka'b & would perform three rak ats for witr and would make
salams only at the end of the third rak'a (Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq
2:294).
If. Abu Ghalib reports that
Abu Umama & would perform three rak ats for witr (Musannaf Ibn Abi
Shayba 2:294).
12. 'Algama, the student of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud de, reports that
witr is three rak ats (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:294).
13. It is reported that Ibrahim al-Nakh'ay would say:
There is no witr consisting of less than three rak'ats (Musannaf Ibn Abi
Shayba 2:294).
14. Abu 'I-Zanad reports:
'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz designated the rak ats of witr to be three based on
the ruling of the jurists, with salams to be made only at the end (Sharh
Ma'ani 'I-athar).
15. It is reported that Hasan al-Basri said:
The Muslims have reached a consensus concerning witr being three rak ars
with salams only at the end (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 2:294).
The reason for quoting the statements of so many Companions and
Followers [tabi'in] is that their opinions and practices hold a high
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The Rak'ats of Witr
status in Islamic law. Whenever a conflict is found between the hadiths
concerning a certain issue, the scholars turn to the actions and state-
ments of the Companions to remedy that conflict. The Companions
undoubtedly possessed great insight into the reality of these issues, due
to them being blessed with the close company of the Messenger .
The scholars therefore hold their opinion in high regard and normally
adopt those hadiths which conform to their practice. Likewise the
opinions of the Followers are also regarded since they succeeded the
Companions and were the bearers of their knowledge.
The more prominent Companions like Sayyidina 'Umar, 'Ali,
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Anas ibn Malik, 'Abdullah
ibn 'Abbas, 'A'isha, Ubay ibn Ka'b, and Abu Umama & all stated
in clear terms that witr consists of three rak ats. Those who came
after them, like Ibrahim al-Nakhay, 'Alqama, Abu Ishaq, Qasim ibn
Muhammad, and others, held the same opinion. Even the renowned
fugaha' sab'a, "the seven great jurists" of the earlier period [see p. 143],
concluded that witr was three rak ats. This was such a widely accepted
opinion that Hasan al-Basti reported consensus [ijma'] on it.
2. How MANY SALAMS IN THE WITR PRAYER?
The Hanafi opinion in this matter is that, like every other prayer, only
one set of salams should be made in witr. According to this opinion,
one must not make two sets of salams and cause the third rak'a to be
performed separately.
The opinion of other scholars is that the musalli [person praying]
should first perform two rak'ats and then, after terminating them with
salams, perform the third rak'a separately with another set of salams.
There are a number of reasons which establish the superiority of
the Hanafi position in this issue.
(1) None of the narrations mentioned above declare that two sets of
salams should be made within the three rak a prayer. On the contrary,
many of them have stated that the three rak ats are to be performed
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FIQH AL-IMAM
continuously without any break in between. It is quite evident that
if there had been an interval in between the second and third rak'ats,
the narrators would have certainly mentioned it.
(2) The narrations of 'A'isha + portray wirr to be like any other set
of three rak ats, as they do not mention the Messenger # making
an extra set of salams in the second rak'a. It should be noted that
A'isha # is considered the most knowledgeable person regarding the
Messenger's % witr prayer. This is due to her close observance of the
Messenger's # witr prayer while at home, where he was habitually
performing it. Hence, without further debate, her explanation that
witr consists of three rak'ats should be accepted.
(3) Some narrations, which have been reported from 'Abdullah ibn
'Umar &, state that witr was performed as a single rak a. Many scholars
claim that Ibn 'Umar & never actually saw the Messenger # perform-
ing the witr prayer, and that his narrations cannot be preferred over
those of 'A'isha and Ibn 'Abbas 4, both of whom were known to have
seen Allah's Messenger # performing the prayer.
(4)
One narration states:
The Messenger of Allah # prohibited the "incomplete prayer" [butayra,
lit. an animal which has had its tail cut off)-where a person performs
a single rak'a as witr.
Although this narration is said to contain some weaknesses, its prohibi-
tion of performing witr as one rak a holds; due to it being authentically
transmitted through a number of reliable chains [asnad]. In his Lisan
al-Mizan, Hafiz Ibn Hajar has related this narration through a strong
chain under the biography of 'Uthman ibn Muhammad, one of its
narrators. With the exception of 'Uqayli-known for his extreme
strictness in the criticism of narrators (even though his criticism
here is only of a mild nature)-most scholars of hadith have judged
'Uthman ibn Muhammad to be reliable. Hakim al-Naysaburi has
related a narration from him in his Mustadrak and called it authentic,
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The Rak'ats of Witr
which Allama Dhahabi has verified. Hence, the status of the hadith
can be no lower than hasan [sound], and the prohibition mentioned
in it of performing one rak'a separately will stand as a strong com-
mand [see Fath al-Mulhim 2:309].
(5) Many of the elect Companions, like 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, 'Ali
ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Abbas, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman, Anas
ibn Malik, Ubay ibn Ka'b & all performed witr with only one set
of salams at the end of the salat. Some of their narrations have been
mentioned above and others can be found in the numerous collections
of hadiths; the chapters (on witr) of which are especially replete with
the narrations of 'A'isha & on witr. Therefore, the sunna method of
performing witr would be to perform them as a continuous set of
three rak'ats as practised by these great Companions.
(6) In some hadiths, the Maghrib prayer, which contains only
one set of salams at the end, has been called "the witr prayer of the
klay." Therefore, "the witr prayer of the night" should also be offered
like the Maghrib salat-with only one set of salams in the last rak'a.
There is a report which mentions that the Messenger of Allah
prohibited that the witr be performed like the Maghrib prayer. What
this actually means is that one should not perform the witr alone, like
Maghrib, without performing any dual set of rak'ats [shuf a] before
it. The report does not mean that one must make salams in between
and separate the last rak'a from the first two.
(7) The "seven great jurists" [fuqaha'sab'a] all agreed that the witr was
to be performed as three rak'ats with salams only at the end. These
seven jurists would be consulted by the people on various issues,
and whatever the majority of them agreed on would be accepted as
the legal ruling [fatwa]. In his book, Imam Tahawi has related their
unanimous opinion that witr should be performed as three rak'ats
with salams made only in the last rak'a. The seven jurists were: Sa'id
ibn al-Musayyib, 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, Qasim ibn Muhammad,
Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, Kharija ibn Zayd, 'Ubaydullah ibn
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FIQH AL-IMAM
'Abdillah, and Sulayman ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with them
all) [(Awjaz al-masalik 1:434)].
(8) Hasan al-Basri reported a consensus [ijma'] on the opinion that
witr was three continuous rak ats without any intervals in between;
which means that it was a widely accepted view.
These points make it easy to conclude that the witr is indeed three
rak ats with a single set of salams to be performed in the third, and
final, rak a. This was the widely held opinion among the Companions
and Followers (may Allah be pleased with them).
SOME CONFUSING NARRATIONS
1. Sa'd ibn Hisham asked 'A'isha # to describe for him the witr prayer
of the Messenger . She replied:
We would prepare his siwak [toothstick] and water for his ablution
(wudu']. Allah would have him wake up during the night whenever He
willed, and the Messenger & would clean his teeth with the siwak and
complete his ablution. He would then perform nine rak ats and would sit
on the eighth rak'a only, in which he would remember Allah, praise Him,
and invoke [du a'] Him. Thereafter, he would stand up without making
salams and perform the ninth rak'a, then he would sit down, and [again]
he would remember Allah, praise Him, and invoke Him. He would then
make the salams [loud enough] for us to hear. After salams, he would
perform another two rak ats sitting down. So, my son, these were eleven
rak'ats. When the Messenger & became of age and heavier, he would
perform [only] seven rak'ats, and his practice in the [final] two sak'ats
would be the same as his earlier practice [of performing them seated]. So
these were [in total] seven rak ats (Sahih Muslim 1:256).
The apparent wording of this narration suggests that the Messenger's
# witr prayer was a total of nine rak ats, in which he would sit only
at the end of the eighth rak'a and complete the prayer with salams
in the ninth. The hadith then states that this was his earlier practice,
for later on he reduced the number of rak ats to seven, sitting briefly
in the sixth and ending with salams in the seventh.
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The Rak'ats of Witr
In Sunan al-Nasa'i, Muwatta Imam Malik, and a number of other
hadith collections, the same narration has been transmitted through
the same chain with the following addition, "The Messenger of
Allah #s would not make salams in the second rak'a of witr." In the
version of al-Mustadrak, it states, "The Messenger of Allah # would
perform three rak'ats witr with salams only at the end." In Musnad
Ahmad, it states:
After the Messenger of Allah @ had performed the 'Isha prayer, he
would enter his home and perform two rak ats, followed by another two
lengthier than the first. He would then perform witr without any interval
in between, after which he would perform a final two mak'ats seated.
The following points come to light after studying the various trans-
missions of this narration:
(a) At most, the Messenger of Allah # would perform a total of
eleven rak ats at night. Included in this were the witr and the two
rak'ats that succeeded it.
(b) Three rak'ats out of the eleven were witr.
(c) He would sit in the second rak'a of witr without making any
salams.
(d) After witr, he would perform two rak ats seated.
(e) He would sit at the end of every second rak'a.
From these points we learn that the various narrations concern-
ing witr are indeed describing the same procedure of performing
witr. The reason why they appear to be conflicting is due to the dif-
ferent words used in most of them.
The version in Sahih Muslim only states the total number of rak ats
performed, without offering much detail as to how they were per-
formed in connection with the tahajjud prayer. The reason for this
is that 'A'isha & was specifically asked about the witr prayer and not
about tabajjud. Hence, she did not feel it was necessary to provide
any details about the rak'ats of tahajjud performed before the witr. So,
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FIQH AL-IMAM
providing details on the witr, she said, "The Messenger of Allah
would sit without making salams on the eighth rak'a." This eighth rak a
was in reality the second rak'a of witr, which was being performed after
the six rak ats of tahajjud; then, on the ninth rak a (the third rak'a of
witr), he would make salams and thus complete his witr prayer.
It was common knowledge at that time that the Messenger
always performed his tahajjud prayer in sets of two; so 'A'isha & did
not provide any detail about them and thus mentioned the total num-
ber of rak'ats together. Lastly, she ended by saying that the Messenger
45 would perform yet another two rak ats seated after performing the
ninth rak'a, bringing the total number of rak ats to eleven.
This is most likely the soundest interpretation for this hadith, as
it encompasses all the variations of Sa'd ibn Hisham's narration, and
at the same time reconciles the apparent conflicts between them. In
summary, the Messenger # would perform the tahajjud prayer in
sets of two, as stated in the above-mentioned narration in Musnad
Ahmad (and probably all other narrations on tahajjud); and thereafter
perform the three continuous rak'ats of witr, with salams made only
at the end. After the final salams, he would then perform two more
rak'ats sitting down.
2. A'isha d narrates:
The Messenger's & prayer at night would be thirteen rak ats, five of which
would be witr; and he would sit only at the end,
The apparent wording of this hadith describes the witr prayer of the
Messenger # as being a continuous set of five rak'ats. However, just
as in the previous narration, the apparent meaning in this narration
is not to be taken as the implied meaning. The reason for this is that
'A'isha & only specified the total number of rak'ats performed by the
Messenger of Allah @% at night and included in it the two rak ats of
naft performed sitting down after the three rak ats of witr. This is
what she refers to when she says, "Five of which would be with" (i.e.
including the two rak ats of nafl).
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The Rak ats of Witr
When she says, "he would sit only at the end," it means he would
not sit for any lengthy period of time during the prayer to make
extra supplication [du'a'] and remembrance [dhikr] except at the very
end. He sat only briefly in every other rak'a to recite the tashabhud.
Furthermore, she did not even mention that he made salams in the
third rak'a of witr, as it was common knowledge that salams had to
be made in the third rak'a. What 'A'isha & was referring to when
she said, "he would sit only at the end," was the final sitting of the
Messenger's two rak'ats nafl salat that followed his witr (i.e. the
Messenger 43 would only sit for an extended period of time in the
final sitting of his last set of two rak ats nafl salat).
Some Hanafi scholars have explained this narration in a slightly
different way. They state that it is known that the Messenger
would perform the rak ats of tahajjud standing up or sitting down,
and the witr prayer he would always perform standing up, while the
two rak'ats following the witr he would mostly perform sitting down.
Hence, if the hadith is approached with these points in mind, the
apparent meaning of the hadith cannot be raken.
What really happened, they explain, is that the Messenger,
according to his normal routine, performed the witr along with the
tahajjud prayer standing up and then sat down to perform the two
naft rak ats. 'A'isha + described his prayer by saying, "he would sit
only at the end" that the Messenger &s, after having performed the
first eleven or so rak ats (tahajjud and witr) standing, sat down and
performed the last two rak ats of nafl. She states that he sat down
to perform the last two rak'ats of nafl after having performed all
the other prayers standing up. [See Darse Tirmidhi 2:210-220, Fath
al-Mulhim 2:219]
This makes the above narration of 'A'isha & very clear and dispels
the notion that the Messenger @ performed a lengthy prayer com-
prised of many rak ats, with only one sitting at the end and no sitting
postures in between the various rak ats he performed. The following
narration of Ibn 'Abbas & further corroborates this explanation:
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FIQH AL-IMAM
The Messenger of Allah a performed eight rak ats and seven rak'ats in
Madina, i.e. Zuhr and 'Asr [together] and Maghrib and 'Isha [together]
(Sahih Muslim 1:246).
No scholar has taken this statement to imply that each of the four
rak ats of Zuhr and 'Asr, and the three of Maghrib and four of 'Isha
were combined together in such a way that there was no interval
between them.
The reason why scholars have disregarded such an interpretation
is because it suggests a new method of prayer that is inconsistent
with the normal method of prayer used regularly by the Messenger
and his Companions . In the same way, those narrations which
apparently suggest a method for witr contrary to the normal practice
of prayer being a minimum of two rak ats, will have to be interpreted
accordingly and not taken literally.
3. Is ONE RAK'A SUFFICIENT FOR WITR?
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar & narrates:
Someone asked the Messenger & about prayer at night. The Messenger
$8 said, "The prayer at night should be performed in sets of two. Then,
when one anticipates the break of dawn, he should perform one more
rak'a which will convert what he has performed into wit for him" (Sahih
al-Bukhari 1:135, Sabih Muslim 1:257).
In another version of this narration it states, "Witr is a single rak'a
[performed] towards the end of the night." The version in Sunan Ibn
Maja states, "The prayer of the night is [performed] in sets of two,
and the witr is a rak'a [performed] before dawn."
Some scholars have deduced from these narrations that the witr is
a single rak'a to be performed on its own separately. This deduction
however does not bring out the real meaning of this hadith as all the
characteristics of prayer have not been taken into consideration. The
following points should be considered:
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The Rak'ats of Witr
(a) May Allah bless the great Shafi'i scholar Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-
'Asqalani, who states in his Fath al-Bari:
It could be contended that this [hadith] is not absolutely clear with
regards to the intervals [between the second and third rak ats of witr). It
is possible that the Messenger # intended by his statement, "he should
perform one more rak'a," that this rak'a should be performed together
[mudafatan] with the two rak'ats before it (Fath al-Bari 2:385 U).
Hence, the real meaning of this hadith is that a person should perform
the tahajjud prayer in sets of two throughout the night, and upon
reaching the end of his vigil \qiyam al-lay!], he should add an extra
rak'a to the final set of two and make it three rak ats. This way, the
rak'ats of his sahajjud and witr prayer will add up to an odd number
and thereby be in accordance with the Messenger's #A statement:
Then, when one anticipates the break of dawn, he should perform one
more rak'a, which will convert what he has performed into witr for him
(Sahib al-Bukhari 1:135, Sahib Muslim 1:257).
(b) The Messenger @ said regarding the sacred pilgrimage [ haj]:
The Pilgrimage is 'Arafa (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja, al-Daraquini).
This narration is also not to be taken literally, as it would mean that
a person's pilgrimage is completed by him merely proceeding to the
plain of 'Arafat, standing there for some time, and then returning
home without even entering into pilgrim sanctity [ibram]. This is
obviously not a valid interpretation since it has neglected many inte-
gral aspects of the worship. In actuality, the hadith is only expressing
the importance of standing [wuquf] in 'Arafat, as it is one of the
integrals of the pilgrimage; and not that it is the only integral act to
be performed for baj,
Similarly, by stating that the witr is one rak'a performed before
the end of the night, the Messenger & is only defining the distinctive
factor between witr and two rak'ats of tahajjud; that adding an extra
rak'a to the last two rak ats of tahajjud would render all three rak ats
into witr, thus allowing the person to fulfill his requirement of witr.
149