6/20. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 749i — Night Prayer in Pairs and Witr by One Rak'ah
The night prayers are two by two, and Witr is one rakah at the end of the night
Night Prayer in Pairs: What Two by Two Means in Witr Hadith
Sahih Muslim : 749i
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 749i
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ حُرَيْثٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ أَنَّ الصُّبْحَ يُدْرِكُكَ فَأَوْتِرْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ " . فَقِيلَ لاِبْنِ عُمَرَ مَا مَثْنَى مَثْنَى قَالَ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The night prayer consists of pairs and when you see the approach of dawn, make this number odd by one rak'ah. It was said to Ibn 'Umar: What does the (word) pair imply? He said: (It means) that salutation is uttered after every two rak'ahs.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 749iIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 192USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1647
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 749i
This Hadith gives one of the clearest explanations of the phrase "two by two." Ibn 'Umar reports that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said the night prayer consists of pairs, and when dawn is approaching, the worshipper should make the number odd with one rak'ah. Then Ibn 'Umar was asked what "pairs" means. He answered that salutation is uttered after every two rak'ahs. For users searching for night prayer two by two, Witr before dawn, or Sahih Muslim 749i, the narration gives both the prophetic wording and Ibn 'Umar's explanation of the term. The main lesson is simple: night prayer is prayed in two-rak'ah units, and Witr completes it with one rak'ah when morning is near.
What we learn from this hadith
- Night prayer is prayed in pairs.
- Ibn 'Umar explained that each pair ends with salutation.
- When dawn approaches, one rak'ah makes the prayer Witr.
