Are Three Witr with One Salām Proven from the Prophet ﷺ? ◈
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
Is it authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that he prayed three Witr with a single salām?
Three Witr with a single salām is not proven from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Consider the following analysis:
Some people cite a ḥadīth from Bukhārī and Muslim to support the practice of praying three Witr with one salām. However, this is incorrect, as the clarification of this ḥadīth is found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ:
كان رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يُصلِّي بينَ أنْ يَفرُغَ من صلاةِ العشاءِ - وهيَ الَّتي يَدْعُو النَّاسُ العَتَمةَ - إلى الفجرِ، إحدى عشرةَ ركعةً، يُسلِّمُ بينَ كلِّ ركعتينِ، ويوترُ بواحدةٍ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven rakʿāt between the end of ʿIshā’ (which people call ʿAtamah) and Fajr. He would make salām after every two rakʿāt and perform one rakʿah for Witr."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 736/122)
➤ This is clear proof that the Prophet ﷺ prayed three Witr as two rakʿāt with salām, followed by one rakʿah. When the word كَانَ is used with the imperfect verb (fiʿl muḍāriʿ) and there is no contradicting evidence, it indicates a continuous, habitual practice.
Hence, Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها described this as the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
① Narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
إن رسولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يوتر بثلاث ركعات.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr."
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 1699)
✘ Weak sanad — Due to Qatādah being a mudallis (obfuscator) and no explicit mention of hearing (samāʿ).
② Another narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
"The Prophet ﷺ would enter the house after ʿIshā’, pray two rakʿāt, then two longer rakʿāt, then pray three Witr with one salām. Then he would sit and perform two rakʿāt while sitting, including bowing and prostration in a seated posture."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 6/155-156)
✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.
③ Narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
كان رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يُوترُ بثلاثٍ لا يُسلِّمُ إلا في آخِرِهِنَّ، وهذا وِترُ أميرِ المؤمنينَ عمرَ بنِ الخطابِ، وعنهُ أخذَهُ أهلُ المدينةِ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr without salām except in the last rakʿah. This was also the Witr of the Commander of the Faithful, ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, and the people of Madīnah took this practice from him."
(al-Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 1/304)
✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Qatādah.
④ Comment of Imām al-Ḥākim رحمه الله:
على علو قدره يدلس، ويأخذ عن كل أحد.
"Despite his high status, Qatādah used to do tadlīs and narrate from everyone."
(al-Mustadrak: 851)
⑤ Narration from Sayyidunā Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
"The Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah, Surah al-Kāfirūn in the second, and Surah al-Ikhlāṣ in the third. He would only say salām in the last rakʿah, and after salām, he would say ‘Subḥān al-Malik al-Quddūs’ three times."
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 1702)
✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Qatādah.
⑥ From Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
إن رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ كان يوترُ ثلاثَ ركعاتٍ لا يُسلِّمُ فيهنَّ حتى ينصرفَ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr and would only say salām after finishing all three."
(Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār: 11/368, Ḥadīth: 4501; Musnad al-Shāshī: 1432)
✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth.
⑦ Narration by Thābit al-Bunānī رحمه الله:
"Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه told me: 'Abu Muḥammad! Learn from me, for I learned from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he learned from Allah. You won’t find anyone more authentic to learn from.' Then he led me in ʿIshā’, followed by six rakʿāt of voluntary prayer, making salām every two rakʿāt. Then he prayed three Witr and made salām at the end."
(Kanz al-ʿUmmāl: 8/66; Tārīkh Ibn ʿAsākir: 9/268)
✘ Weak — Due to unknown narrator (majhūl): Maymūn ibn ʿAbdillāh, Abū ʿAbdillāh.
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 7048)
⑧ Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه narrated:
"The Prophet ﷺ prayed until the last part of the night and intended to perform Witr. He recited Surah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah and Surah al-Kāfirūn in the second. After sitting for tashahhud, he did not say salām but stood for the third, recited Surah al-Ikhlāṣ, made takbīr, recited qunūt, and then proceeded to rukūʿ."
(al-Istīʿāb: 4/71; Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/302)
✘ Fabricated:
① Abān ibn ʿAyyāsh — Liar and abandoned narrator.
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 142)
Hāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar said:
ضعيف بالاتفاق
"Weak by consensus."
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/222, 239)
Also, Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī is a mudallis, and the narration does not confirm hearing.
✔ All authentic evidence indicates that the Prophet ﷺ prayed three Witr as two rakʿāt with salām, followed by one rakʿah.
✔ Reports claiming three Witr with one salām are either weak, unauthentic, or fabricated.
✔ Therefore, it is not correct to establish three Witr with a single salām from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
Is it authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that he prayed three Witr with a single salām?
❖ Answer:
Three Witr with a single salām is not proven from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Consider the following analysis:
✿ Common Misunderstanding:
Some people cite a ḥadīth from Bukhārī and Muslim to support the practice of praying three Witr with one salām. However, this is incorrect, as the clarification of this ḥadīth is found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
❖ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ:
كان رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يُصلِّي بينَ أنْ يَفرُغَ من صلاةِ العشاءِ - وهيَ الَّتي يَدْعُو النَّاسُ العَتَمةَ - إلى الفجرِ، إحدى عشرةَ ركعةً، يُسلِّمُ بينَ كلِّ ركعتينِ، ويوترُ بواحدةٍ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven rakʿāt between the end of ʿIshā’ (which people call ʿAtamah) and Fajr. He would make salām after every two rakʿāt and perform one rakʿah for Witr."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 736/122)➤ This is clear proof that the Prophet ﷺ prayed three Witr as two rakʿāt with salām, followed by one rakʿah. When the word كَانَ is used with the imperfect verb (fiʿl muḍāriʿ) and there is no contradicting evidence, it indicates a continuous, habitual practice.
Hence, Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها described this as the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
✿ Weak or Unsubstantiated Reports Cited in Favor of Three Witr with One Salām:
① Narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
إن رسولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يوتر بثلاث ركعات.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr."
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 1699)✘ Weak sanad — Due to Qatādah being a mudallis (obfuscator) and no explicit mention of hearing (samāʿ).
② Another narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
"The Prophet ﷺ would enter the house after ʿIshā’, pray two rakʿāt, then two longer rakʿāt, then pray three Witr with one salām. Then he would sit and perform two rakʿāt while sitting, including bowing and prostration in a seated posture."
(Musnad Aḥmad: 6/155-156)✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.
③ Narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
كان رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ يُوترُ بثلاثٍ لا يُسلِّمُ إلا في آخِرِهِنَّ، وهذا وِترُ أميرِ المؤمنينَ عمرَ بنِ الخطابِ، وعنهُ أخذَهُ أهلُ المدينةِ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr without salām except in the last rakʿah. This was also the Witr of the Commander of the Faithful, ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, and the people of Madīnah took this practice from him."
(al-Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 1/304)✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Qatādah.
④ Comment of Imām al-Ḥākim رحمه الله:
على علو قدره يدلس، ويأخذ عن كل أحد.
"Despite his high status, Qatādah used to do tadlīs and narrate from everyone."
(al-Mustadrak: 851)⑤ Narration from Sayyidunā Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
"The Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah, Surah al-Kāfirūn in the second, and Surah al-Ikhlāṣ in the third. He would only say salām in the last rakʿah, and after salām, he would say ‘Subḥān al-Malik al-Quddūs’ three times."
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 1702)✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Qatādah.
✿ Additional Narrations Declared Weak or Fabricated:
⑥ From Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
إن رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ كان يوترُ ثلاثَ ركعاتٍ لا يُسلِّمُ فيهنَّ حتى ينصرفَ.
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray three Witr and would only say salām after finishing all three."
(Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār: 11/368, Ḥadīth: 4501; Musnad al-Shāshī: 1432)✘ Weak — Due to ʿanʿanah of Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth.
⑦ Narration by Thābit al-Bunānī رحمه الله:
"Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه told me: 'Abu Muḥammad! Learn from me, for I learned from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he learned from Allah. You won’t find anyone more authentic to learn from.' Then he led me in ʿIshā’, followed by six rakʿāt of voluntary prayer, making salām every two rakʿāt. Then he prayed three Witr and made salām at the end."
(Kanz al-ʿUmmāl: 8/66; Tārīkh Ibn ʿAsākir: 9/268)✘ Weak — Due to unknown narrator (majhūl): Maymūn ibn ʿAbdillāh, Abū ʿAbdillāh.
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 7048)⑧ Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه narrated:
"The Prophet ﷺ prayed until the last part of the night and intended to perform Witr. He recited Surah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah and Surah al-Kāfirūn in the second. After sitting for tashahhud, he did not say salām but stood for the third, recited Surah al-Ikhlāṣ, made takbīr, recited qunūt, and then proceeded to rukūʿ."
(al-Istīʿāb: 4/71; Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/302)✘ Fabricated:
① Abān ibn ʿAyyāsh — Liar and abandoned narrator.
(Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb: 142)Hāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar said:
ضعيف بالاتفاق
"Weak by consensus."
(Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/222, 239)Also, Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī is a mudallis, and the narration does not confirm hearing.
Conclusion:
✔ All authentic evidence indicates that the Prophet ﷺ prayed three Witr as two rakʿāt with salām, followed by one rakʿah.
✔ Reports claiming three Witr with one salām are either weak, unauthentic, or fabricated.
✔ Therefore, it is not correct to establish three Witr with a single salām from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
