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Sunan Ibn MajahEstablishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

Sunan Ibn Majah 1202

Chapter: What was narrated concerning Witr at the beginning of the night

Differing grades 4 scholars’ grades Sunan Ibn Majah 1202

Narrator:Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ تَوْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ ‏

"‏ أَىَّ حِينٍ تُوتِرُ ‏"‏ قَالَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ الْعَتَمَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَأَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏"‏ أَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْوُثْقَى وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا عُمَرُ فَأَخَذْتَ بِالْقُوَّةِ ‏"

It was narrated that Jabir bin ‘Abdullah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Abu Bakr: ‘When do you pray Witr?’ He said: ‘At the beginning of the night, after ‘Isha’.’ He said: ‘And you, O ‘Umar?’ He said: ‘At the end of the night.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘As for you, O Abu Bakr, you have seized the trustworthy handhold (i.e., you want to be on the safe side), and as for you, O ‘Umar, you have seized strength (i.e., you are confident that you have the resolve to get up and pray Witr).’” Another chain with similar meaning.

Reported by Ibn Majah (No. 1202).

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Classical commentary

Al-Sindi — Hashiyat al-Sindi on Sunan Ibn Majah

قَوْله ( فَأَخَذْت بِالْوُثْقَى ) أَيْ بِالْخَصْلَةِ الْمُحْكَمَة وَهِيَ الْخُرُوج عَنْ الْعُهْدَة بِيَقِينٍ وَالِاحْتِرَاز عَنْ الْفَوْت بِالْقُوَّةِ أَيْ بِصِدْقِ الْعَزِيمَة عَلَى قِيَام اللَّيْل وَفِيهِ إِشَارَة إِلَى أَنَّ التَّأْخِير لِمَنْ يَتَنَبَّه أَوْلَى وَفِي الزَّوَائِد إِسْنَاده حَسَن وَقَالَ فِي الرِّوَايَة الثَّانِيَة إِسْنَاده صَحِيح وَرِجَاله ثِقَات وَقَالَ وَالْحَدِيث رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ مِنْ حَدِيث أَبِي قَتَادَة.…

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Scholars’ grades

The 4 scholars cited do not give the same grade: each one is shown below.

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH AuthenticHasan Sahih The hadith No. 1202
Shu'ayb al-Arna'utd. 1438 AH AuthenticSahih Lighairihi The hadith No. 1202
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH Good (hasan)Hasan The hadith No. 1202
Muhammad Fu'ad Abd al-Baqid. 1388 AH AuthenticHasan Sahih The hadith No. 1202

On the same subject

Differing grades Sunan Abu Dawud 1434

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked AbuBakr: When do you observe the witr? He replied: I observe the witr prayer in the early hours of the night. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Umar: When do you observe the witr? He replied: At the end of the night. He then said to AbuBakr: This has followed it with care; and he said to…

مَتَى تُوتِرُ ‏"‏ قَالَ أُوتِرُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لِعُمَرَ ‏"‏ مَتَى تُوتِرُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ ‏"‏ أَخَذَ هَذَا بِالْحَزْمِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لِعُمَرَ ‏"‏ أَخَذَ…

Narrated by Abu Qatāda

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 13803

قَالَ عَبْد اللَّهِ وَجَدْتُ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ مَوْلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى…

Narrated by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh + 1 other version Arabic only

Thursday, October 15, 2026 4 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ