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Sahih al-BukhariPrayers (Salat)

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was on the pulpit: What do you say about the night prayer? He (ﷺ) said: "Two by two

Chapter: The religious gathering in circles and sitting in the mosque

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari 472

Narrator:Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ مَا تَرَى فِي صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ ‏"‏

مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا خَشِيَ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى وَاحِدَةً، فَأَوْتَرَتْ لَهُ مَا صَلَّى ‏"‏‏.‏ وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ اجْعَلُوا آخِرَ صَلاَتِكُمْ وِتْرًا، فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِهِ‏.‏

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was on the pulpit: What do you say about the night prayer? He (ﷺ) said: "Two by two (i.e., in sets of two Rak‘ahs). When he fears that dawn is approaching, he should pray one (Rak‘ah), which will make what he has prayed Witr (odd)." And he (ﷺ) used to say: "Make the last of your prayers at night Witr,” for the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded it.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 472).

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Explanation

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was delivering a sermon on the pulpit: O Messenger of Allah, teach me how to perform the night prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Pray and make Taslīm after every two Rak‘ahs. When you fear that dawn is near, then pray one Rak‘ah, which will make what you have prayed Witr. And he (ﷺ) used to advise making Witr the last prayer of the night.

Lessons

  • The basic rule for night prayer is to make Taslīm after every two Rak‘ahs, except for the Witr prayer.
  • The night prayer is not limited to a specific number of Rak‘ahs, as indicated by the unrestricted wording of the text.
  • An-Nawawi said: The Hadīth "the prayer of the night and day is two by two" refers to what is preferable—that one makes Taslīm after every two Rak‘ahs. This applies to both the voluntary prayers of the night and of the day, as it is recommended to conclude with Taslīm after every two Rak‘ahs.
  • An-Nawawi said: This Hadīth is evidence that the Sunnah is to make Witr the last prayer of the night, and that its time ends with the rising of dawn. This is the famous view in our school of thought, and it is the opinion held by the majority of scholars.

Explanation in Arabic

سأل رجل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يخطب على المنبر: يا رسول الله علمني كيف أصلي الليل؟

فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم: تصلي وتسلم من كل ركعتين، فإذا خفت طلوع الصبح فصلِّ ركعة توتر لك ما صليت، وإنه صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يوصي بجعل آخر صلاة الليل وترًا.

  • الأصل في صلاة الليل أن يسلِّم من كل ركعتين، في غير الوِتر.
  • أن صلاة الليل غير مُقيدة بعَدد؛ لإطلاق اللفظ.
  • قال النووي: "صلاة الليل والنهار مثنى مثنى"، هذا الحديث محمول على بيان الأفضل، وهو أن يسلم من كل ركعتين، وسواء نوافل الليل والنهار يستحب أن يسلم من كل ركعتين.
  • قال النووي: فيه دليل على أن السنة جعل الوتر آخر صلاة الليل، وعلى أن وقته يخرج بطلوع الفجر، وهو المشهور من مذهبنا، وبه قال جمهور العلماء.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ ) هُوَ اِبْن عُمَر الْعُمَرِيُّ. قَوْله : ( سَأَلَ رَجُل ) لَمْ أَقِفْ عَلَى اِسْمِهِ. قَوْله : ( مَا تَرَى ) أَيْ مَا رَأْيُك ؟ مِنْ الرَّأْيِ , وَمِنْ الرُّؤْيَةِ بِمَعْنَى الْعِلْمِ. و ( مَثْنَى مَثْنَى ) بِغَيْرِ تَنْوِينٍ أَيْ اِثْنَتَيْنِ اِثْنَتَيْنِ , وَكُرِّرَ تَأْكِيدًا. قَوْله : ( فَأَوْتَرَتْ ) بِفَتْحِ الرَّاءِ , أَيْ تِلْكَ الْوَاحِدَةُ. قَوْله : ( وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ ) بِكَسْرِ الْهَمْزَةِ عَلَى الِاسْتِئْنَافِ , وَقَائِل ذَلِكَ هُوَ نَافِع , وَالضَّمِيرِ لِابْن عُمَر. قَوْله : ( بِاللَّيْلِ ) هِيَ فِي رِوَايَةِ الْكُشْمِيهَنِيّ وَالْأَصِيلِيّ فَقَطْ.…

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Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH Authenticصحيح The hadith صحيح البخاري No. 472

Other versions

Also reported by… (1)
  • التحقيق في مسائل الخلاف لابن الجوزي (637)يُصَلِّي أَحَدُكُمْ مَثْنَى ، فَإِذَا خَشِيَ الصُّبْحَ ، صَلَّى وَاحِدَةً فَأَوْتَرَتْ لَهُ مَا صَلَّى مِنَ اللَّيْلِ

On the same subject

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Riyad as-Salihin 1106

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform his optional night prayers at night, two Rak'ah followed by two Rak'ah, and at the end he would conclude with an odd Rak'ah (Witr). Then he would perform two Rak'ah prayer before the dawn (Fajr) prayer after hearing the Adhan, and he would make them so…

وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال‏:‏ كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي من الليل مثنى مثنى، ويوتر بركعة من آخر الليل، ويصلي الركعتين قبل صلاة الغداة، وكأن الأذان بأذنيه‏"‏‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar + 9 other versions

Not graded Bulugh al-Maram 368

"the (voluntary) day and night prayers are two Rak'at, two Rak'at (in pairs)." an-Nasa'i said, "This is a mistake."

وَلِلْخَمْسَةِ ‏- وَصَحَّحَهُ اِبْنِ حِبَّانَ ‏- : { صَلَاةُ اَللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى" } وَقَالَ النَّسَائِيُّ : "هَذَا خَطَأٌ" .‏ 1‏ ‏1 ‏- صحيح .‏ رواه أبو داود ( 1295 )‏ ، والنسائي ( 3 / 227 )‏…

+ 8 other versions

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 993

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Night prayer is offered as two rak`at followed by two rak`at and so on, and if you want to finish it, pray only one rak`a which will be witr for all the previous rak`at." Al-Qasim said, "Since we attained the age of puberty we have seen some people offering a three-rak`at…

صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَنْصَرِفَ فَارْكَعْ رَكْعَةً تُوتِرُ لَكَ مَا صَلَّيْتَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar + 1 other version

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