Fath al-Rabbani

(2) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Thawban radi Allahu anhu, who says: We were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he said: “Indeed, this journey is toil and hardship, so when one of you has performed the witr, let him perform two (additional) rak‘ahs (units of prayer). If he wakes up (for further prayer), then fine; otherwise, these two will suffice for him.” (al-Darimi: 1/374, Ibn Khuzaymah: 2/159/1103, Ibn Hibban: 683, al-Daraqutni: p. 177, Sahihah: 1993)

(2) In the chapters regarding the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) and witr, it has been established from several ahadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed two additional voluntary rak‘ahs after the witr prayer. The way to reconcile and harmonize these narrations is as follows: A person who habitually performs the night prayer (tahajjud) should perform the witr prayer at the end (of the night), and he may also perform two more rak‘ahs after the witr. As for the person who, due to some excuse, wishes to perform the night prayer (tahajjud) along with witr at the beginning of the night, he may do so; but if he wakes up in the last part of the night, he may perform further voluntary prayers without invalidating his previous witr. Similarly, a person who performs the witr prayer and then goes to sleep, but later happens to wake up and wishes to perform voluntary prayers, may do so; there is no need for him to invalidate his witr. Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, using the hadith of Sayyiduna Thawban radi Allahu anhu as evidence, said: Whoever wishes may perform voluntary prayers after witr, and the two rak‘ahs that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed after witr were not something exclusive to him. Imam ‘Ubayd Allah Mubarakpuri rahimahullah said: The four Imams, Imam al-Thawri, Imam Ibn al-Mubarak, and others are of the opinion that it is permissible to perform further voluntary prayers after witr without invalidating it, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that there are not two witr prayers in one night. These scholars have interpreted the command found in the hadith of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu as being recommended (mustahabb), and have considered the performance of further prayers to be permissible. Another way to reconcile is that the meaning of the hadith of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah is that when you wish to stand (in prayer) at night, then do not perform the witr at the beginning or in the middle of the night, but rather at the end. (Mir‘at al-Masabih: 2/4) The meaning of this second reconciliation is that a person who habitually stands (in prayer) at night should perform the witr at the end, for example, everyone regularly performs the tarawih prayer in Ramadan, which is a form of the night prayer (tahajjud); in such a case, in light of this hadith, it would not be correct to perform the witr before the eight rak‘ahs of tarawih or after four rak‘ahs and then complete the rest of the prayer later. However, if a person performs the witr prayer at night and then, without previous routine, decides to stand (in prayer), or if a person, due to travel or some other excuse, fears he may not wake up in the last part of the night, then he should act upon the first narration in this chapter, i.e., the hadith of Sayyiduna Thawban radi Allahu anhu. In any case, in both situations, it is permissible to perform two rak‘ahs after the witr prayer, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed two rak‘ahs after completing the night prayer and the witr. And Allah knows best what is correct.