8/8. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1437 — Quiet and Loud Recitation in Witr
The Time Of The Witr Prayer
Witr Practice: Timing, Recitation, and Sleep
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1437
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1437
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ وِتْرِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَرُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ مِنْ آخِرِهِ . قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ قِرَاءَتُهُ أَكَانَ يُسِرُّ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ أَمْ يَجْهَرُ قَالَتْ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ رُبَّمَا أَسَرَّ وَرُبَّمَا جَهَرَ وَرُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ فَنَامَ وَرُبَّمَا تَوَضَّأَ فَنَامَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ قُتَيْبَةَ تَعْنِي فِي الْجَنَابَةِ .
'Abd Allah b. Abu Qais Narrated from:
I asked 'Aishah about the witr observes by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She replied: Sometime he observed the witr prayer in the early hours of the night, sometimes he observed it at the end of it. I asked: How did he recite the Qur'an ? Did he recite the Qur'an quietly or loudly ? She replied: He did it in any way. Sometimes he recited quietly and sometimes loudly, sometimes he took bath and then slept and sometimes he performed ablution and then slept. Abu Dawud said: The narrators other than Qutaibah said: This refer to his bath due to sexual defilement.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1437In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 22English translation : Book 8, Hadith 1432
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1437
This hadith about the Prophet's witr practice gives several details from Aishah. She was asked about his witr and said that he sometimes observed it in the early part of the night and sometimes at the end. When asked about Qur'an recitation, she said he sometimes recited quietly and sometimes loudly. She also mentioned that sometimes he took a bath and slept, and sometimes he performed ablution and slept. Abu Dawud notes that other narrators understood the bath to refer to sexual defilement. For readers searching quiet or loud recitation in witr, this hadith shows more than one practice within the report.
What we learn from this hadith
- Aishah mentioned both early and late witr in the Prophet's practice.
- His recitation was sometimes quiet and sometimes loud.
- The report also mentions sleep after ghusl or after ablution.
