Is there a difference between the night prayer and the witr prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : A question, O Shaykh. The hadith indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform the night prayer absolutely.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : He did not perform the night prayer absolutely.
The Shaykh : Two prayers?
The questioner : A prayer at night, absolutely.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He only performed witr and prayed two rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : He prayed, but it was not mentioned that he prayed eleven rak'ahs; it was not mentioned in this hadith. And the prayer of eleven rak'ahs, where one says taslim after every two rak'ahs, according to some scholars, means that witr is only in the last one.
The student: And in this hadith...
The Shaykh : And as for the ten, they are the night prayer.
The questioner : And this hadith.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this not indicate that there is another night prayer?
The Shaykh : It indicates witr, because he asked about witr; the man asked only about witr.
The questioner : So the prayer of Allah with witr is more than eleven rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, that is not correct. If you pray the night prayer, you do not exceed eleven rak'ahs.
The questioner : And if...
The Shaykh : If... it means you did not pray the night prayer; you made it all witr. Did the time end?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: The other one has no questions.
Another student: It is not suitable...
Another student: How...
The Shaykh : Do we have... al-Bukhari or not?
The student: Al-Bukhari.
The Shaykh : Okay, is that right?
The questioner : Meaning, one does not pray the night prayer and prays the eleven...
The Shaykh : He may perform witr without praying the night prayer. He performs witr with three, five, seven, or nine; all of this is witr. If he prays two, two, two, and then comes with one, the witr is only that one. Do you understand?
The questioner : Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : Did you understand?
The questioner : Meaning, one does not pray the night prayer in pairs and then perform witr with nine or eleven?
The Shaykh : No, no, it was not reported from the Messenger, because if he prayed the night prayer in pairs and performed witr with nine, we would say, for example, he prayed ten rak'ahs.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He performs witr with nine.
The student: Yes...
The Shaykh : What is the total? Nineteen, which exceeds what the Messenger used to do, yes?
The student: Is it better to pray the night prayer or witr or...
The Shaykh : In any case, it is true that witr is standing in night prayer; it is true that it is part of standing in night prayer because it is a prayer at night. But witr has a specific intention, a specific intention more specific than standing in night prayer, yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, before...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : He did not perform the night prayer absolutely.
The Shaykh : Two prayers?
The questioner : A prayer at night, absolutely.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He only performed witr and prayed two rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : He prayed, but it was not mentioned that he prayed eleven rak'ahs; it was not mentioned in this hadith. And the prayer of eleven rak'ahs, where one says taslim after every two rak'ahs, according to some scholars, means that witr is only in the last one.
The student: And in this hadith...
The Shaykh : And as for the ten, they are the night prayer.
The questioner : And this hadith.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this not indicate that there is another night prayer?
The Shaykh : It indicates witr, because he asked about witr; the man asked only about witr.
The questioner : So the prayer of Allah with witr is more than eleven rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, that is not correct. If you pray the night prayer, you do not exceed eleven rak'ahs.
The questioner : And if...
The Shaykh : If... it means you did not pray the night prayer; you made it all witr. Did the time end?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: The other one has no questions.
Another student: It is not suitable...
Another student: How...
The Shaykh : Do we have... al-Bukhari or not?
The student: Al-Bukhari.
The Shaykh : Okay, is that right?
The questioner : Meaning, one does not pray the night prayer and prays the eleven...
The Shaykh : He may perform witr without praying the night prayer. He performs witr with three, five, seven, or nine; all of this is witr. If he prays two, two, two, and then comes with one, the witr is only that one. Do you understand?
The questioner : Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : Did you understand?
The questioner : Meaning, one does not pray the night prayer in pairs and then perform witr with nine or eleven?
The Shaykh : No, no, it was not reported from the Messenger, because if he prayed the night prayer in pairs and performed witr with nine, we would say, for example, he prayed ten rak'ahs.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He performs witr with nine.
The student: Yes...
The Shaykh : What is the total? Nineteen, which exceeds what the Messenger used to do, yes?
The student: Is it better to pray the night prayer or witr or...
The Shaykh : In any case, it is true that witr is standing in night prayer; it is true that it is part of standing in night prayer because it is a prayer at night. But witr has a specific intention, a specific intention more specific than standing in night prayer, yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you, before...