Book of Witr

It is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Amrah al-Najjari that he asked Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) about witr, and he said: It is a most excellent and beautiful practice, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslims after him acted upon, but it is not obligatory.
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it, and it also has supporting narrations (shawahid).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Indeed, witr (prayer) is not binding like your obligatory prayers, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed witr and then said: "O people of the Qur'an, pray witr, for Allah is Witr (One) and He loves witr."
This hadith has several supporting narrations (shawahid).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Three things are obligatory upon me and voluntary (optional) for you: the sacrifice, witr, and the two (sunnah) rak'ahs of Fajr."
Imam al-Hakim says: The foundation in this matter is the hadith of faith (iman) in which a Bedouin asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the five prayers: "Is anything else besides them obligatory upon me?" and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, unless you do something voluntary of your own accord"; and also (a foundation) is the hadith of Sa'id bin Yasar from Ibn Umar which mentions praying witr on a mount. The two Shaykhs agreed on recording both of them in their Sahih.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "When do you pray witr?" He replied: I pray witr before I sleep. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "When do you pray witr?" He replied: I sleep, then (after waking) I pray witr. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "You have taken the path of caution - or of certainty -", and he said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "You have taken the path of strength (resolve)."
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it, and it has a supporting narration (shahid) with an authentic chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "When do you pray witr?" He replied: I pray witr and then sleep. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have adopted firm resolve." And he asked Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "When do you pray witr?" He replied: I sleep, then I get up at night and pray witr. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have acted as a strong person acts."

Abu Nadrah narrates that Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) informed them that the Companions asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about witr, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray witr before (the coming of) the morning."
Ma'mar bin Rashid corroborated this (mutaba'ah) from Yahya bin Abi Kathir.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray witr before the morning comes."
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it, and it has an authentic supporting narration (shahid).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasten to pray witr before (the coming of) the morning."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever reaches the morning (Fajr) without having prayed witr, there is no witr for him (at that time)."
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but they did not record it, and it has a supporting narration (shahid) with an authentic chain.

It is narrated from Nafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: Whoever prays at night should make witr his last prayer, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that. So when dawn breaks, the time of all the night prayers and of witr has ended, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray witr before Fajr."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever sleeps through his witr or forgets it, let him pray it when he wakes in the morning or when he remembers it."
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.