Skip to content
Assabile
English

Sahih al-BukhariBook 14

Witr Prayer

كتاب الوتر

15 hadith in this book; 15 translated into English.

Chapter 1Chapter: What is said regarding the Witr prayer

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 990

Once a person asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (ﷺ) about the night prayer. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) replied, "The night prayer is offered as two Rak`at followed by two Rak`at and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Rak`ah and this will be a Witr for all the…

صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمُ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً، تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى ‏"

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar + 30 other versions

Authentic No. 991

Nafi` told that `Abdullah bin `Umar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rak`at and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rak`at).

وَعَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ بَيْنَ الرَّكْعَةِ وَالرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فِي الْوِتْرِ، حَتَّى يَأْمُرَ بِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِهِ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 992

Once I passed the night in the house of Maimuna (his aunt). I slept across the bed while Allah's Apostle and his wife slept length-wise. The Prophet (ﷺ) slept till midnight or nearly so and woke up rubbing his face and recited ten verses from Surat "Al-`Imran." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went towards a…

قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى شَنٍّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ، فَتَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي فَصَنَعْتُ مِثْلَهُ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَأَخَذَ…

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās + 12 other versions

Authentic No. 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

Authentic No. 994

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak`at at night and that was his night prayer and each of his prostrations lasted for a period enough for one of you to recite fifty verses before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) raised his head. He also used to pray two rak`at (Sunnah) before the (compulsory) Fajr…

يُصَلِّي إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، كَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَتَهُ ـ تَعْنِي بِاللَّيْلِ ـ فَيَسْجُدُ السَّجْدَةَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ أَحَدُكُمْ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ، وَيَرْكَعُ…

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 4 other versions

Chapter 2Chapter: The timing of the Salat-ul-Witr (Witr prayer)

Chapter introduction

Abu Hurairah said, "The Prophet ﷺ told me to offer Witr prayer before sleeping." ​​

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 995

I asked Ibn `Umar, "What is your opinion about the two rak`at before the Fajr (compulsory) prayer, as to prolonging the recitation in them?" He said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray at night two rak`at followed by two and so on, and end the prayer by one rak`ah witr. He used to offer two rak`at…

يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ وَكَأَنَّ الأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar + 9 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 996

At every part of the night, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Witr: at its beginning, middle, and end. Finally he settled on performing Witr just before dawn

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: 'At every part of the night, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Witr: at its beginning, middle, and end. Finally he settled on performing Witr just before dawn.

كُلَّ اللَّيْلِ أَوْتَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَانْتَهَى وِتْرُهُ إِلَى السَّحَرِ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 14 other versions Explained

Chapter 3Chapter: The Prophet (pbuh) used to wake his family up for the Witr prayer

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 997

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to offer his night prayer while I was sleeping across in his bed. Whenever he intended to offer the witr prayer, he used to wake me up and I would offer the witr prayer too.

يُصَلِّي، وَأَنَا رَاقِدَةٌ مُعْتَرِضَةً عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُوتِرَ أَيْقَظَنِي فَأَوْتَرْتُ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 17 other versions

Chapter 4Chapter: Witr as the last Salat (at night)

Chapter 5Chapter: To offer the Witr Salat while riding on an animal

Chapter 6Chapter: Offering prayers of Witr while on a journey

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) No. 1000

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to offer (Nawafil) prayers on his Rahila (mount) facing its direction by signals, but not the compulsory prayer. He also used to pray witr on his (mount) Rahila.

يُصَلِّي فِي السَّفَرِ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ، حَيْثُ تَوَجَّهَتْ بِهِ، يُومِئُ إِيمَاءً، صَلاَةَ اللَّيْلِ إِلاَّ الْفَرَائِضَ، وَيُوتِرُ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar + 5 other versions

Chapter 7Chapter: To recite Qunut before and after bowing

Authentic No. 1002

I asked Anas bin Malik about the Qunut. Anas replied, "Definitely it was (recited)". I asked, "Before bowing or after it?" Anas replied, "Before bowing." I added, "So and so has told me that you had informed him that it had been after bowing." Anas said, "He told an untruth (i.e. "was mistaken,"…

قَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ شَهْرًا ـ أُرَاهُ ـ كَانَ بَعَثَ قَوْمًا يُقَالُ لَهُمُ الْقُرَّاءُ زُهَاءَ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلاً إِلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ دُونَ أُولَئِكَ، وَكَانَ…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 4 other versions