It is reported in the hadith: "There are not two witr in one night." So what does one do who prays tarawih and wants to pray tahajjud, and does the one who prays with the first imam until he finishes get the reward of standing the night as in the hadith?
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The questioner : It is reported in the hadith: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 470Sahih (Darussalam), so what does one do who wants to pray tarawih and then wants to pray tahajjud?
And does the one who prays with the first imam until he finishes get the reward of standing the night as in the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person prays with the first imam and the first imam prays witr, then if his intention is to pray with the second imam, he makes the witr even, meaning when the imam says the taslim he stands and performs one rak'ah. If he performs one rak'ah, his prayer becomes even, and the witr becomes at the end of the night.
But someone might ask us: What is your evidence that it is permissible for a person to add a rak'ah to his imam?
Did you understand the question?
The students: Yes, we did.
The Shaykh : What is your evidence that it is permissible for a person to add a rak'ah to his imam? The imam is followed.
The answer to that is simple: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray with his Companions in the Battle of the Conquest, praying two rak'ahs, and he would say to the people of Makkah:, meaning we are travelers.
So the people of Makkah added two rak'ahs to the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the one who wants to make his witr even, he adds a rak'ah for a purpose, which is to make his prayer even, yes.
But the question says: If he prays with the first imam until he finishes and prays witr with him, does he get the reward of standing the night?
So what do you say about this?
Do we say that the unity of the place necessitates the unity of the imam, because the place of prayer is one? Is that not so?
So the second imam is like a deputy for the first imam. Or do we say that the first imam's independent prayer, including its witr, necessitates that it is a prayer independent of the second, and that the second prayer is a repetition of the standing, or rather a new standing?
This is a point where I hesitate in my opinion. I might say: A person might consider the first and second standing as one standing.
Because the place is one, the most that can be said is that one of the imams followed the other.
And we might say that when the imam became independent in his standing and prayed witr and finished, it became as if the second came with a new standing not based on the first standing.
Based on the first possibility, the person who wants to stay with the imam until he finishes, does not finish until after the second standing.
And based on the second possibility, we say: The one who finished with the first imam and prayed witr with him, has obtained the standing of the night. And since these two possibilities are real, the best in my view is that a person prays with the first, and when the imam says the taslim from his witr, he performs one rak'ah to make it even, then stands with the second imam, and finishes with him when he prays witr.
There are no two Witr in one night.
لا وتران في ليلةAnd does the one who prays with the first imam until he finishes get the reward of standing the night as in the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person prays with the first imam and the first imam prays witr, then if his intention is to pray with the second imam, he makes the witr even, meaning when the imam says the taslim he stands and performs one rak'ah. If he performs one rak'ah, his prayer becomes even, and the witr becomes at the end of the night.
But someone might ask us: What is your evidence that it is permissible for a person to add a rak'ah to his imam?
Did you understand the question?
The students: Yes, we did.
The Shaykh : What is your evidence that it is permissible for a person to add a rak'ah to his imam? The imam is followed.
The answer to that is simple: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray with his Companions in the Battle of the Conquest, praying two rak'ahs, and he would say to the people of Makkah:
Complete it, for we are a people of travel
أتموا فإنا قوم سفرSo the people of Makkah added two rak'ahs to the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the one who wants to make his witr even, he adds a rak'ah for a purpose, which is to make his prayer even, yes.
But the question says: If he prays with the first imam until he finishes and prays witr with him, does he get the reward of standing the night?
So what do you say about this?
Do we say that the unity of the place necessitates the unity of the imam, because the place of prayer is one? Is that not so?
So the second imam is like a deputy for the first imam. Or do we say that the first imam's independent prayer, including its witr, necessitates that it is a prayer independent of the second, and that the second prayer is a repetition of the standing, or rather a new standing?
This is a point where I hesitate in my opinion. I might say: A person might consider the first and second standing as one standing.
Because the place is one, the most that can be said is that one of the imams followed the other.
And we might say that when the imam became independent in his standing and prayed witr and finished, it became as if the second came with a new standing not based on the first standing.
Based on the first possibility, the person who wants to stay with the imam until he finishes, does not finish until after the second standing.
And based on the second possibility, we say: The one who finished with the first imam and prayed witr with him, has obtained the standing of the night. And since these two possibilities are real, the best in my view is that a person prays with the first, and when the imam says the taslim from his witr, he performs one rak'ah to make it even, then stands with the second imam, and finishes with him when he prays witr.