Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Discussion on Ṣalāh, Vol. 1, p. 219
Are two nafl prayers after Witr legislated? Many people pray two nafl after Witr following Tarāwīḥ in Ramaḍān, and likewise after ʿIshāʾ in non-Ramaḍān nights. Is this practice established from authentic aḥādīth? What is the virtue of these two nafl? Also, what is the ruling if one offers them sitting?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
Praying two nafl after Witr is legislated, permissible, and established from the practice of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. He himself used to perform these two nafl prayers. This act is confirmed in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
However:
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
«قُلْتُ حُدِّثْتُ يَا رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ! اَنَّکَ قُلْتَ : صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا عَلٰی نِصْفِ الصَّلاَةِ ۔ وَأَنْتَ تُصَلِّیْ قَاعِدًا ؟ قَالَ : اَجَلْ وَلٰکِنِّیْ لَسْتُ کَاَحَدٍ مِنْکُمْ»
(Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Bāb al-Qasd fī al-ʿAmal, al-Faṣl al-Thālith; narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنه) said: I asked, “O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ! I have been told that you said: ‘The prayer of a man sitting is half of the prayer.’ Yet I see you praying while sitting?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes, but I am not like any one of you.”
◈ Praying two nafl after Witr is established from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ.
◈ Performing them standing is superior.
◈ Performing them sitting without excuse yields half reward.
◈ For the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, even if he performed them sitting, he was granted full reward.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question:
Are two nafl prayers after Witr legislated? Many people pray two nafl after Witr following Tarāwīḥ in Ramaḍān, and likewise after ʿIshāʾ in non-Ramaḍān nights. Is this practice established from authentic aḥādīth? What is the virtue of these two nafl? Also, what is the ruling if one offers them sitting?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
Praying two nafl after Witr is legislated, permissible, and established from the practice of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. He himself used to perform these two nafl prayers. This act is confirmed in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
However:
- Performing these two nafl while standing is more virtuous.
- Whoever performs them sitting without a valid excuse will receive half the reward.
- As for the Prophet ﷺ, even if he performed nafl while sitting without an excuse, he was granted the full reward.
❖ The Ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
«قُلْتُ حُدِّثْتُ يَا رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ! اَنَّکَ قُلْتَ : صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ قَاعِدًا عَلٰی نِصْفِ الصَّلاَةِ ۔ وَأَنْتَ تُصَلِّیْ قَاعِدًا ؟ قَالَ : اَجَلْ وَلٰکِنِّیْ لَسْتُ کَاَحَدٍ مِنْکُمْ»
(Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Bāb al-Qasd fī al-ʿAmal, al-Faṣl al-Thālith; narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنه) said: I asked, “O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ! I have been told that you said: ‘The prayer of a man sitting is half of the prayer.’ Yet I see you praying while sitting?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes, but I am not like any one of you.”
❖ Conclusion:
◈ Praying two nafl after Witr is established from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ.
◈ Performing them standing is superior.
◈ Performing them sitting without excuse yields half reward.
◈ For the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, even if he performed them sitting, he was granted full reward.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
