When the imam says the takbir of ihram for the witr prayer, the ma'mum does not know whether the witr is three rak'ahs or one, so what should the ma'mum do?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : He says: Your Eminence, when the imam says the takbir of ihram for the witr prayer, the ma'mum does not know whether the witr is three rak'ahs or one. So what should the ma'mum do?
The Shaykh : First: It is obligatory, my brothers, that you know that the two rak'ahs that people call al-Shif' are the witr. So from the moment the imam finishes the tarawih, you intend the witr when he stands up? Even if he says the taslim after the first two rak'ahs, it is still the witr, because the witr with three has two forms: either you make the three with one taslim and one tashahhud, or you make the three with two taslims and two tashahhuds. You say the taslim after two rak'ahs, then you come with the third. This is the witr with three. If a person makes the witr with five, how does he do it? He recites the five all in a row. If he makes the witr with seven, yes, he recites the five all in a row with one tashahhud and one taslim. If he makes the witr with seven, it is the same; he recites them with one taslim and one tashahhud. If he makes the witr with nine, he recites eight rak'ahs, does the tashahhud but does not say the taslim, then he comes with the ninth, does the tashahhud, and says the taslim. So the nine have two tashahhuds and how many taslims? One taslim. This is how it came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). But is it permissible for us, as imams, to do this with the people? Meaning, we make the witr with five, seven, seven in a row, and nine in a row, and do the tashahhud in the eighth? No. This is something that is difficult for the people, and some people are harmed by it if they need to urinate or defecate. Then the people fall into doubt: is their imam now making the witr or praying the tarawih? They do not know. Some imams have done such a thing, claiming that it is the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And we say: Yes, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. But did he do it while he was an imam? He did it for himself. And when a person prays for himself, he lengthens as much as he wishes, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said. But when he prays with the people, he shortens. And it is well known that the imam saying the taslim after two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, is easier for the people than what? Than reciting five, or seven, or nine in a row. There is not a single hadith that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five, seven, or nine with the Companions. He only did it by himself. And we say: In your home, do all the Sunnah. We encourage a person to make the witr sometimes this way and sometimes that way to revive the Sunnah. But for us to do that with the Muslims, that is not correct. Yes, perhaps if there were a specific group, a specialized group, who agreed to make the witr with five in a row, or seven in a row, or nine in a row, there is no harm. But a mosque open to the people, where everyone comes and enters and prays, do not take the people beyond two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. All right.
The questioner : He says: Your Eminence, a woman was struck by a coma...
The Shaykh : As for that, now, if we finish the tarawih, and the imam stands up to pray, what do you intend? If the imam finishes the tarawih and stands up to pray, what do you intend? Witr, even if he prays two rak'ahs and says the taslim, it is the witr. Yes.
The Shaykh : First: It is obligatory, my brothers, that you know that the two rak'ahs that people call al-Shif' are the witr. So from the moment the imam finishes the tarawih, you intend the witr when he stands up? Even if he says the taslim after the first two rak'ahs, it is still the witr, because the witr with three has two forms: either you make the three with one taslim and one tashahhud, or you make the three with two taslims and two tashahhuds. You say the taslim after two rak'ahs, then you come with the third. This is the witr with three. If a person makes the witr with five, how does he do it? He recites the five all in a row. If he makes the witr with seven, yes, he recites the five all in a row with one tashahhud and one taslim. If he makes the witr with seven, it is the same; he recites them with one taslim and one tashahhud. If he makes the witr with nine, he recites eight rak'ahs, does the tashahhud but does not say the taslim, then he comes with the ninth, does the tashahhud, and says the taslim. So the nine have two tashahhuds and how many taslims? One taslim. This is how it came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). But is it permissible for us, as imams, to do this with the people? Meaning, we make the witr with five, seven, seven in a row, and nine in a row, and do the tashahhud in the eighth? No. This is something that is difficult for the people, and some people are harmed by it if they need to urinate or defecate. Then the people fall into doubt: is their imam now making the witr or praying the tarawih? They do not know. Some imams have done such a thing, claiming that it is the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And we say: Yes, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did that. But did he do it while he was an imam? He did it for himself. And when a person prays for himself, he lengthens as much as he wishes, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said. But when he prays with the people, he shortens. And it is well known that the imam saying the taslim after two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, is easier for the people than what? Than reciting five, or seven, or nine in a row. There is not a single hadith that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed five, seven, or nine with the Companions. He only did it by himself. And we say: In your home, do all the Sunnah. We encourage a person to make the witr sometimes this way and sometimes that way to revive the Sunnah. But for us to do that with the Muslims, that is not correct. Yes, perhaps if there were a specific group, a specialized group, who agreed to make the witr with five in a row, or seven in a row, or nine in a row, there is no harm. But a mosque open to the people, where everyone comes and enters and prays, do not take the people beyond two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. All right.
The questioner : He says: Your Eminence, a woman was struck by a coma...
The Shaykh : As for that, now, if we finish the tarawih, and the imam stands up to pray, what do you intend? If the imam finishes the tarawih and stands up to pray, what do you intend? Witr, even if he prays two rak'ahs and says the taslim, it is the witr. Yes.