The ruling on performing Witr with one rak'ah after the 'Isha' prayer
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Question:
What is the ruling for one who performs Witr with a single rak'ah after the 'Isha' prayer? In the hadith reported in al-Bukhari, Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Witr with a single rak'ah after 'Isha'. It was said to Ibn Abbas about this, and he said, "Leave him alone, for he is a jurist."
Answer:
Correct, yes, Witr with one rak'ah is sufficient. From this is the hadith of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, which is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1422Sahih (Al-Albani). So the minimum for Witr is one rak'ah, whether from the end of the night, the middle of the night, or the beginning of the night; it is sufficient after 'Isha'. And the more one adds, the better it is. If he performs Witr with three, it is better; with five, it is better; with seven, it is better; with nine, it is better; with eleven, with thirteen. The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Witr ended at thirteen. And if one adds more, there is no harm, because this is not a limited limit. So if he performs Witr with one hundred and one rak'ahs, there is no harm. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when asked about the night prayer: Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani). Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported it in the "Sahihayn."
This indicates that the night prayer is not limited, neither in Ramadan nor in other times. So if one prays eleven as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, or thirteen, it is better. And if he adds more because he loves to benefit from the prayer, because he has energy, let him continue; he may pray twenty in Ramadan, or in other times, or pray more; there is no harm in that.
It has been reported from the Companions that they prayed twenty, and prayed eleven after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and some of them prayed more than that. The matter in this is broad, and there is no limited limit in it, except that the best is for his prayer to be like the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), eleven or thirteen, with attention, stillness, recitation, reflection, and understanding of the rak'ahs, so that he prays a complete prayer, in which there is the humility and tranquility by which Allah benefits him.
What is the ruling for one who performs Witr with a single rak'ah after the 'Isha' prayer? In the hadith reported in al-Bukhari, Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) performed Witr with a single rak'ah after 'Isha'. It was said to Ibn Abbas about this, and he said, "Leave him alone, for he is a jurist."
Answer:
Correct, yes, Witr with one rak'ah is sufficient. From this is the hadith of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, which is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:
if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'ahs, he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three, he may do so, and if anyone wishes to observe it with one, he may do so.
مَن أحبَّ أن يُوتر بخمسٍ فليفعل، ومَن أحبَّ أن يُوتر بثلاثٍ فليفعل، ومَن أحبَّ أن يُوتر بواحدةٍ فليفعلshould consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him.
مثنى، مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدُكم الصبحَ صلَّى ركعةً واحدةً تُوتر له ما قد صلَّىThis indicates that the night prayer is not limited, neither in Ramadan nor in other times. So if one prays eleven as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, or thirteen, it is better. And if he adds more because he loves to benefit from the prayer, because he has energy, let him continue; he may pray twenty in Ramadan, or in other times, or pray more; there is no harm in that.
It has been reported from the Companions that they prayed twenty, and prayed eleven after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and some of them prayed more than that. The matter in this is broad, and there is no limited limit in it, except that the best is for his prayer to be like the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), eleven or thirteen, with attention, stillness, recitation, reflection, and understanding of the rak'ahs, so that he prays a complete prayer, in which there is the humility and tranquility by which Allah benefits him.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
