6/20. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 749d — Witr Prayer at the End of Night Prayer
The night prayers are two by two, and Witr is one rakah at the end of the night
Witr Prayer: How Night Prayer Is Prayed in Pairs
Sahih Muslim : 749d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 749d
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، وَبُدَيْلٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ السَّائِلِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ " مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيتَ الصُّبْحَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَةً وَاجْعَلْ آخِرَ صَلاَتِكَ وِتْرًا " . ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ وَأَنَا بِذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلاَ أَدْرِي هُوَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ .
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
A person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as I stood between him (the Holy Prophet) and the inquirer and he said: Messenger of Allah, how is the night prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It consists of pairs of rak'ahs, but if you apprehend morning, you should pray one rak'ah and make the end of your prayer as Witr. Then a person asked him (the Holy Prophet) at the end of the year and I was at that place near the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); but I do not know whether he was the same person or another person, but he (the Holy Prophet) gave him the same reply.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 749dIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 180USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1635
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 749d
This Hadith answers a direct question about how the night prayer is performed. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explained that night prayer is prayed in pairs of rak'ahs. The wording is simple and practical: pray two by two, and when morning is near, pray one rak'ah to make the prayer end as Witr. For people searching for witr prayer, night prayer in Islam, or how to pray Witr before Fajr, this narration gives the basic structure from the text itself. It also mentions that a similar question was asked later, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) gave the same answer. The focus is clear: keep the night prayer in pairs, and close it with an odd rak'ah when dawn is near.
What we learn from this hadith
- Night prayer is prayed in pairs of rak'ahs.
- When dawn is near, one rak'ah may be prayed to make the prayer Witr.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) gave the same guidance when asked about this matter again.
