6/20. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 749f — Making Night Prayer Odd with Witr
The night prayers are two by two, and Witr is one rakah at the end of the night
How to Make Night Prayer Odd with Witr Prayer
Sahih Muslim : 749f
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 749f
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، وَهَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَهُمْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً نَادَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ أُوتِرُ صَلاَةَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ صَلَّى فَلْيُصَلِّ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِنْ أَحَسَّ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ سَجَدَ سَجْدَةً فَأَوْتَرَتْ لَهُ مَا صَلَّى " . قَالَ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ . وَلَمْ يَقُلِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
A person called (the attention) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as he was in the mosque, and said: Messenger of Allah, how should I make the rak'ahs of the night prayer an odd number? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: He who prays (night prayer) he should observe it in pairs, but if he apprehends the rise of morning, he should observe one rak'ah; that would make the number odd (for the rak'ahs) observed by him. This was narrated by Abu Kuraib 'Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah and Ibn 'Umar did not make mention of it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 749fIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 189USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1644
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 749f
This Hadith begins with a question in the mosque: how should the rak'ahs of the night prayer be made odd? The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered that whoever prays should pray in pairs. Then, if he feels morning is near, he should observe one rak'ah, and that makes the prayer odd. For people searching for how to pray Witr, night prayer odd rak'ah, or Sahih Muslim 749f, the Hadith gives a practical layout from the text itself. It teaches that the night prayer is not made odd by guessing or adding unclear steps. The prayer is performed two by two, and one final rak'ah turns the total into Witr when morning is close.
What we learn from this hadith
- Night prayer is prayed in pairs.
- One rak'ah near morning makes the prayed rak'ahs odd.
- The question and answer focus on how Witr completes the night prayer.
