Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 514
Is the last prayer of the night Witr, and is it prohibited to pray after Witr?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars on this matter.
◄ Sayyidunā ʿUthmān bin ʿAffān, Saʿd bin Mālik, ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar, ʿUrwah رضي الله عنهم, and according to one narration, ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما, held that:
The Witr offered after ʿIshā’ should be broken into shafʿ (two rakʿāt), and then after performing tahajjud, another Witr should be prayed.
◄ While Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, ʿAmmār bin Yāsir, Abū Hurayrah, Rāfiʿ bin Khadīj, and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنهم believed that:
Tahajjud may be performed without breaking the Witr prayed after ʿIshā’.
The second opinion is stronger because authentic narrations establish that the Prophet ﷺ did pray nafl even after Witr.
Ḥadīth 1
قَالَتْ عائشة: «كَانَ يُصَلِّي ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُصَلِّي ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ، ثُمَّ يُوتِرُ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ.»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Layl, Vol. 1, p. 204)
Translation:
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said: “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray thirteen rakʿāt: eight rakʿāt, then Witr, then two rakʿāt while sitting.”
Ḥadīth 2
عَن أُمِّ سَلمۃَ: «أَن النبی ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بَعد الوِترِ رَكعَتَينِ.»
(Al-Tirmidhī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 345)
Translation:
From Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها: “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray two rakʿāt after Witr.”
Similar reports exist from Abū Umāmah, ʿĀ’ishah, and several other Companions.
Ḥadīth 3
عَنْ قَيسِ بن طَلقِ بن عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: «سَمِعتُ رسول الله ﷺ يَقُولُ: لاوتران في ليلة.»
(Al-Tirmidhī – Ḥasan Gharīb)
Translation:
From Ṭalq bin ʿAlī رضي الله عنه: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: There are no two Witr prayers in one night.”
وَھذا ھوالمختار عندي ولم أجد حديثا مرفوعا صحيحا يدل علی ثبوت نقض الوتر والله تعالیٰ أعلم۔
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 345)
Translation:
“This is the preferred opinion according to me, as I have not found any authentic marfūʿ ḥadīth proving the validity of breaking Witr.”
From ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
اِجْعَلُوا آخِرَ صَلاتِكُم باللَّيْلِ وِتْراً۔
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 207)
Translation:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Make Witr the last of your prayers at night.”
This indicates that it is recommended for Witr to be the final prayer, but it does not negate the permissibility of praying after Witr.
وَالصَّوابُ أَنَّ هاتَينِ الرَّكعَتَينِ فَعَلَهُما ﷺ بعدَ الوِترِ جالِساً لِبَيانِ جَوازِ الصَّلاة بعدَ الوِترِ۔
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 254)
Translation:
“The correct opinion is that the Prophet ﷺ prayed these two rakʿāt after Witr while sitting, in order to demonstrate the permissibility of praying after Witr.”
◈ It is permissible to perform nafl after Witr without breaking it.
◈ Those who break Witr and repeat it after tahajjud are not blameworthy, though this is not the stronger view.
◈ It is preferable (mustaḥabb) to make Witr the last prayer of the night.
◈ Authentic aḥādīth prove the permissibility of nafl after Witr.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question
Is the last prayer of the night Witr, and is it prohibited to pray after Witr?
✿ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars on this matter.
Opinions of the Companions رضي الله عنهم
◄ Sayyidunā ʿUthmān bin ʿAffān, Saʿd bin Mālik, ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar, ʿUrwah رضي الله عنهم, and according to one narration, ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما, held that:
The Witr offered after ʿIshā’ should be broken into shafʿ (two rakʿāt), and then after performing tahajjud, another Witr should be prayed.
◄ While Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, ʿAmmār bin Yāsir, Abū Hurayrah, Rāfiʿ bin Khadīj, and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنهم believed that:
Tahajjud may be performed without breaking the Witr prayed after ʿIshā’.
Practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
The second opinion is stronger because authentic narrations establish that the Prophet ﷺ did pray nafl even after Witr.
Ḥadīth 1
قَالَتْ عائشة: «كَانَ يُصَلِّي ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُصَلِّي ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ، ثُمَّ يُوتِرُ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ.»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Layl, Vol. 1, p. 204)
Translation:
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said: “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray thirteen rakʿāt: eight rakʿāt, then Witr, then two rakʿāt while sitting.”
Ḥadīth 2
عَن أُمِّ سَلمۃَ: «أَن النبی ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بَعد الوِترِ رَكعَتَينِ.»
(Al-Tirmidhī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 345)
Translation:
From Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها: “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray two rakʿāt after Witr.”
Similar reports exist from Abū Umāmah, ʿĀ’ishah, and several other Companions.
Ḥadīth 3
عَنْ قَيسِ بن طَلقِ بن عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: «سَمِعتُ رسول الله ﷺ يَقُولُ: لاوتران في ليلة.»
(Al-Tirmidhī – Ḥasan Gharīb)
Translation:
From Ṭalq bin ʿAlī رضي الله عنه: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: There are no two Witr prayers in one night.”
Statement of Imām ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله
وَھذا ھوالمختار عندي ولم أجد حديثا مرفوعا صحيحا يدل علی ثبوت نقض الوتر والله تعالیٰ أعلم۔
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 345)
Translation:
“This is the preferred opinion according to me, as I have not found any authentic marfūʿ ḥadīth proving the validity of breaking Witr.”
Ḥadīth on Making Witr the Last Prayer of the Night
From ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
اِجْعَلُوا آخِرَ صَلاتِكُم باللَّيْلِ وِتْراً۔
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 207)
Translation:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Make Witr the last of your prayers at night.”
This indicates that it is recommended for Witr to be the final prayer, but it does not negate the permissibility of praying after Witr.
Statement of Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله
وَالصَّوابُ أَنَّ هاتَينِ الرَّكعَتَينِ فَعَلَهُما ﷺ بعدَ الوِترِ جالِساً لِبَيانِ جَوازِ الصَّلاة بعدَ الوِترِ۔
(Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 254)
Translation:
“The correct opinion is that the Prophet ﷺ prayed these two rakʿāt after Witr while sitting, in order to demonstrate the permissibility of praying after Witr.”
Summary
◈ It is permissible to perform nafl after Witr without breaking it.
◈ Those who break Witr and repeat it after tahajjud are not blameworthy, though this is not the stronger view.
◈ It is preferable (mustaḥabb) to make Witr the last prayer of the night.
◈ Authentic aḥādīth prove the permissibility of nafl after Witr.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
