Mishkat al-Masabih

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God is single (witr) and loves what is single, so observe the witr, you who follow the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the witr, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Zaid b. Aslam reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you oversleeps and misses his witr, he should observe it in the morning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it in mursal form.

In the first rak'a he recited, “Glorify the name of your most high Lord,”1 in the second, “Say, O infidels,”2 and in the third, “Say, He is God, One,”3 and al-Mu‘awwidhatan.4 1. Al-Qur’an; 87 2. Al-Qur’an; 109 3. Al-Qur’an; 112 4. Al-Qur’an; 113-114 Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. Nasa’i transmitted it from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza, Ahmad from Ubayy b. Ka‘b, and Darimi from Ibn ‘Abbas, but the last two did not mention al-Mu'awwidhatan.

God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the witr. They were, “O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted art Thou, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that when God’s Messenger gave the salutation in the witr he said, “Glory be to the King most holy.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Nasa’i adding that he said it three times, prolonging the words. In a version by Nasa’i from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza from his father, he said that he used to say three times when he uttered that salutation, “Glory be to the King most holy”, raising his voice when saying it the third time.

‘Ali said that the Prophet used to say at the end of his witr, “O God, I seek refuge in Thy good pleasure from Thine anger, and in Thy forgiveness from Thy punishment, and I seek refuge in Thy mercy from Thy wrath.* I cannot reckon the praise due to Thee. Thou art as Thou hast glorified Thyself.” * Literally ‘in Thee from Thee’. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas, on being asked whether he approved of the Commander of the Faithful, Mu'awiya, using only one rak'a in the witr, replied, “He is right; he is versed in the law.” In a version Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Mu'awiya observed a witr after the evening prayer with one rak'u when a client of Ibn ‘Abbas was with him. He went to Ibn ‘Abbas and told him, but he replied, “Leave him alone, for he was a companion of the Prophet.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Buraida said he heard God’s Messenger say, “The witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us; the witr is a duty, so he who does not observe it does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone over-sleeps and misses the witr, or forgets it, he should pray when he remembers and when he awakes.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Malik said he heard that a man asked Ibn ‘Umar whether the witr was obligatory, and ‘Abdallah said, “God’s Messenger observed the witr and the Muslims observed the witr.” The man kept repeating his question and ‘Abdallah kept saying, “God’s Messenger observed the witr and the Muslims observed the witr.” He transmitted it in al-Muwatta.

‘Ali said that God’s Messenger used to pray three rak'as when observing the witr, reciting nine suras from al-Mufassal in the course of them, three in each rak'a, the last of them being “Say, He is God, One” (Al-Qur’an; 112). Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Nafi' said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in Mecca when the sky was cloudy and he was afraid the morning might have come, so he observed a witr with one rak'a. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying one rak'a; then he prayed series of two rak'as, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed a witr with one.” Malik transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to pray sitting, and would recite the Qur’an while sitting; then when about thirty or forty verses of his recitation remained he stood up and recited while standing. Then he bowed, then he prostrated himself, and after that he did the same kind of thing in the second rak'a. Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Salama said the Prophet used to pray two rak'as after the witr. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah added that they were short ones which he prayed while sitting.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger used to observe a witr with one rak'a, then he performed two rak'as reciting the Qur’an in the course of them seated. When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Thauban reported the Prophet as saying, “This wakefulness is a toil and a burden, so when one of you observes a witr he should pray two rak'as. If he gets up during the night, well and good; otherwise they will serve for him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Umama said the Prophet used to pray the two of them after the witr seated, and recited in the course of them, “When the earth is shaken’’, 1 and "Say, O infidels."2 Al-Qur’an; 99 Al-Qur’an; 109 Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger wished to invoke a curse or a blessing on someone he stood in supplication after bowing, and when he said, “God listens to him who praises Him,” he often said, “Praise be to Thee, our Lord! O God, rescue al-Walid b. al-Walid, Salama b. Hisham and ‘Ayyash b. Abu Rabi'a.1 O God, trample severely on Mudar and cause them a famine like that of Joseph,”2 saying that in a loud voice. And he would sometimes say in the course of his prayer, “O God, curse so and so and so and so of the tribes of the Arabs,” till God revealed, “You have nothing to do with the matter. . .”3 1. These were men who were persecuted for their faith and held prisoners. 2. The famine in the time of Joseph lasted seven years. 3. Al-Qur’an; 3:128. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I asked Anas b. Malik whether the humble supplication1 during the prayer was before or after bowing and he replied, “Before it; God’s Messenger observed it after bowing only for a month. He had sent out some people called Qur’an readers, to the number of seventy, on an expedition and they were smitten,2 so for a month God’s Messenger stood in humble supplication after bowing, invoking a curse on their murderers.” 1. The Arabic is qunut, which means 'being obedient’, or 'the act of standing’. It is used of certain supplications in the witr or at other times, but there is some disagreement about when these supplications may be made. The traditions in this chapter deal with the appropriate times. 2. The reference is to an incident at Bi’r Ma'una in 4 A.H. (Bukhari and Muslim.)