The ruling on praying Witr before sleep and the virtue of standing in night prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A woman asks and says: What is your view on praying Witr before sleep? Does it count as standing in night prayer?
Answer:
Yes, standing in night prayer is from the setting of the sun until the dawn breaks; all of it is called standing in night prayer. Its best time is the last part of the night. If one stands in prayer from the beginning of the night, he has stood in night prayer and has the reward of standing in night prayer. But if he delays it until the last third of the night, that is better, the time of the Divine Descent. Our Lord, Exalted and Majestic is He, descends to the lowest heaven every night when one-third of the night remains, and He says: Is there anyone asking, that I may give to him? Is there anyone supplicating, that I may answer him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Every night.
So if a person has the determination to stand in night prayer, he should make it in the last part of the night. If he does not trust that he will be able to stand in the last part of the night, he prays whatever is easy for him before he sleeps. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised Abu Hurayrah to pray Witr before he sleeps, because Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stayed up late to memorize hadiths, staying up to preserve hadiths, and he used to sleep in the last part of the night. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised him to pray Witr in the first part of the night. The one who does not weaken from standing in prayer until the last part of the night prays whatever is easy for him and prays Witr in the first part of the night. If Allah makes it easy for him and he stands in the last part of the night, he prays whatever is easy for him and is content with the first Witr, because one does not pray Witr twice in the night. The first Witr is sufficient, and he prays whatever is easy for him if he stands in the last part of the night.
A woman asks and says: What is your view on praying Witr before sleep? Does it count as standing in night prayer?
Answer:
Yes, standing in night prayer is from the setting of the sun until the dawn breaks; all of it is called standing in night prayer. Its best time is the last part of the night. If one stands in prayer from the beginning of the night, he has stood in night prayer and has the reward of standing in night prayer. But if he delays it until the last third of the night, that is better, the time of the Divine Descent. Our Lord, Exalted and Majestic is He, descends to the lowest heaven every night when one-third of the night remains, and He says: Is there anyone asking, that I may give to him? Is there anyone supplicating, that I may answer him? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Every night.
So if a person has the determination to stand in night prayer, he should make it in the last part of the night. If he does not trust that he will be able to stand in the last part of the night, he prays whatever is easy for him before he sleeps. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised Abu Hurayrah to pray Witr before he sleeps, because Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stayed up late to memorize hadiths, staying up to preserve hadiths, and he used to sleep in the last part of the night. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised him to pray Witr in the first part of the night. The one who does not weaken from standing in prayer until the last part of the night prays whatever is easy for him and prays Witr in the first part of the night. If Allah makes it easy for him and he stands in the last part of the night, he prays whatever is easy for him and is content with the first Witr, because one does not pray Witr twice in the night. The first Witr is sufficient, and he prays whatever is easy for him if he stands in the last part of the night.
Source
صلاة الوتر وقيام الليل — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.