Subchapter

Narrated Rabi'ah bin Ka'b al-Aslami (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Ask." I said, "I ask your company in Paradise." He replied, "Or something else?" I said, "That is it (i.e. that is what I desire)." He said, "Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): I memorized from the Prophet (ﷺ) ten (voluntary) Rak'at - two Rak'at before the Zuhr prayer and two after it; two Rak'at after Magbrib prayer in his house, and two Rak'at after 'Isha' prayer in his house, and two Rak'at before the Fajr prayer. [Agreed upon]. Another narration of both (al-Bukhari and Muslim) has: 'two Rak'at after Jumu'ah prayer in his house.' Muslim has: 'He never prayed after the break of dawn except two light Rak'at.'

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) never left four Rak'at before the Zuhr prayer, and two Rak'at before the Fajr prayer. [Reported by al-Bukhari].

Narrated ['Aishah (RA)]: The Prophet (ﷺ) was more particular about offering the two (optional) Rak'at at dawn than he was about offering any of the other optional prayers. [Agreed upon]. Muslim has: "The two Rak'at at dawn are better than this world and what it contains."

Narrated Umm Habibah (RA) the Mother of the Believers: She heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say, "Whoever prays twelve (voluntary) Rak'at in a day and a night, a house will be built for him in Paradise due to them (the Rak'at)." [Reported by Muslim]. In another narration, it is mentioned: "Voluntarily". at-Tirmidhi reported it similarly and added: "four Rak'at before Zuhr and two Rak'at after it and two Ra'kat after Maghrib and two after 'Isha' and two Rak'at before the Fajr prayer." And in the narration of al-Khamsah, by her [Umm Habibah (RA)]: "Whoever prays regularly four Rak'at before and four Rak'at after the Zuhr prayer, Allah will forbid for him (from entering) the Hellfire."

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "May Allah mercy on a person who prays four Rak'at before the 'Asr prayer. " [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Da'ud and at-Tirmidhi and the latter graded it Hasan (good). Also reported by Ibn Khuzaimah who graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal al-Muzani (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Pray before Maghrib, pray before Maghrib" then he said at the third time, "Whoever wishes (to)". He said so, because he did not like the people to take it as a Sunnah. [Reported by al-Bukhari]. And in the narration of Ibn Hibban: "The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed two Rak'at before the Maghrib (prayer)." Muslim has reported from Anas (RA) that he said, "We used to pray two Rak'at after sunset and the Prophet (ﷺ) used to see us, but he neither commanded nor forbade us."

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) used to make the two (voluntary) Rak'at before the Fajr prayer so short that I would wonder whether he recited al-Fatiha (or not). [Agreed upon].

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) recited Surat al-Kafirun, and Surat al-Ikhlas in the two (voluntary) Rak'at of the Fajr (prayer). [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) used to lie down on his right side, after praying the two (voluntary) Rak'at of the Fajr (prayer). [Reported by al-Bukhari].

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If any of you prays the two Rak'at before the dawn prayer, he should lie on his right side." [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, the latter graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The (voluntary) night prayers are two Rak'at, two Rak'at (in pairs), and if one fears that the dawn prayer is due, he should then offer one Rak'at which will make what he has prayed an odd number." [Agreed upon). The Khamsah reported it - graded Sahib (authentic) by Ibn Hibban - with the wording: "the (voluntary) day and night prayers are two Rak'at, two Rak'at (in pairs)." an-Nasa'i said, "This is a mistake."

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The most excellent prayer after that which is obligatory is the (voluntary) late night prayer." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Abu Ayub al-Ansari (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "al-Witr prayer is a duty upon every Muslim, so whoever likes to offer it with five Rak'at let him do so and whoever likes to offer it with three let him do so, and whoever likes to offer it with one let him do so." [Reported by al-Arba'ah except at-Tirmidhi. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahib (authentic) and an-Nasa'i held that the stronger view is that it is Mawquf (saying of a companion)].

Narrated 'Ali bin Abu Talib (RA): The Witr prayer is not obligatory as the prescribed prayer is [i.e. the five daily prayers], but it is a Sunnah which was established by the practice of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). [at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i reported it, who graded it Hasan (good). al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Jabir (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed during the month of Ramadan. Then they (the Sahabah) waited for him on the following night, but he did not come out and he said, "I feared that the Witr (prayer) might be prescribed for you." [Reported by Ibn Hibban].

Narrated Kharijah bin Hudhaifah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Allah the Exalted has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the red camels (high breed camels)." We asked, "What is it O Allah's Messenger." He said, "The Witr between the 'Isha' prayer and up till the break of dawn." [Reported by al-Khamsah except an-Nasa'i and al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)]. Ahmad reported something similar to the above Hadith from 'Amr bin Shu'aib on the authority of his father who reported it on the authority of 'Amr's grandfather.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Buraidah (RA) from his father: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The Witr is a duty, so he who does not offer it, is not one of us." [Reported by Abu Dawud with a Laiyin (weak) chain of narrators and Al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)]. The above mentioned Hadith has a Shahid (supporting narration) which is weak, reported by Ahmad from Abu Hurairah (RA).

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not offer more than eleven (voluntary) Rak'at during Ramadan nor during other than Ramadan. He offered four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! (It is beyond description or imitation]. Again he would pray four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! [It is beyond description or imitation]. Then he would pray three (Rak'at of Witr). 'Aishah (RA) said: "I said, O Allah's Messenger will you sleep before you pray Witr?" He said, "O 'Aishah my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep." [Agreed upon]. And in another narration of al-Bukhari and Muslim, ['Aishah (RA)] narrated: "He used to pray ten Rak'at (of prayer), and making it Witr by one Rak'at, and he used to pray the two (Sunnah) Rak'at of Fajr, so that it became thirteen Rak'at."

Narrated ['Aishah (RA)]: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen Rak'at during the night, offering a Witr out of that with five and sitting only during the last of them. [Agreed upon].

Narrated ['Aishah (RA)]: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered Witr prayer (on different nights) at various hours, extending (from the 'Isha' prayer) up to the last hour of the night. [Agreed upon].

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'Aas (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told me, "O 'Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so who used to be awake in the night for prayer and then gave it up." [Agreed upon].

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "O people of the Qur'an! Offer Witr (prayer), because Allah is Witr (One) and loves Witr." [Reported by al-Khamsah and Ibn Khuzaimah graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Make the last of your prayer at night Witr (an odd number)." [Agreed upon].

Narrated Talq bin 'Ali (RA): I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "There are no two Witr (prayers) during one night." [Reported by Ahmad and ath-Thalathah and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Ubai bin Ka'b (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) recited in Witr prayer Surat al-A'la (in the first Rak'at), Surat al-Kafirun (in the second Rak'at) and Surat al-Ikhlas (in the third Rak'at). [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i]. The latter added, "And he did not say the Taslim (salutation) except in the last (Rak'at) of them." Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi report something similar from 'Aishah (RA) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to recite a Surat in every Rak'at and in the last (third) Rak'at he would recite Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad (Surat al-Ikhlas) and al-Mu'awwidhatain.

Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Offer Witr prayer before it is morning." [Reported by Muslim]. Ibn Hibban has: 'Whosoever reaches the dawn, and he did not offer Witr, then there is no Witr for him.'

Narrated [Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA)]: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever oversleeps and misses the Witr, or forgets it, should pray (when he awakens) in the moming or when he remembers." [Reported by al-Khamsah except an-Nasa'i].

Narrated Jabir (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should offer Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone expects to get up in the last part of it, he should offer Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "When the dawn breaks, then the time of all night prayers including the Witr is over, so observe the Witr before dawn." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi].

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray four Rak'at in Duha prayer and increase (the number of Rak'at) as much as Allah willed." [Reported by Muslim]. In another narration of Muslim from her: ['Aishah (RA)] was asked, "Did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) use to offer the Duha prayer?" She replied, "No, unless he came back from a journey." In yet another narration of Muslim from her: ['Aishah (RA)] said, "I have never seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offering Duha prayer, yet I offer it."

Narrated Zaid bin Arqam (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The prayer of those who are penitent is offered when the young weaned camels feel the heat of the sand." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi].

Narrated Anas (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever prays twelve Rak'at of Duha, Allah will build a castle for him in Paradise." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi who graded it Gharib (reported by a single narrator)].

Narrated 'Aishah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered my house and prayed eight Rak'at of Duha prayer. [Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih].