Proof of Hanafi Witr salah
| Fatwa #1418 | Category: Prayer (Salaat) | Country: Zambia | Date: 11th March 2025 |
| Fatwa #1418 | Date: 11th March 2025 |
| Category: Prayer (Salaat) | |
| Country: Zambia | |
Question
So I was tasked to find out the status of taraweeh with an authentic Hadith mentioned by rasulullah (s.a.w) their concern is how they can bring everybody in board to pray witr after taraweeh because some brothers aren’t performing their witr due to difference in mathahib. The mutawalli says that quote” rasulullah said do not pray witr like Maghreb” I don’t how authentic is that. So his querry is how he can bring all people to pray witr using daleel From the Hadith and it should be mentioned by rasulullah.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
First and foremost, the adherent of each madhab must stick to the dominant opinions of their own madhab and act accordingly. If this means one cannot pray certain prayers behind certain people, then so be it.
There are a few aspects of witr salah that have been differed upon by the 4 madhabs. As for the Hanafi witr salah, the proof for it has been given below. For the sake of brevity, we have simply mentioned a few of the pertinent ahadith.
- It is three rakaats, with a tashahhud at two rakaats, and salaam only at the end of the third rakaat.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ لَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ. وَهَذَا وِتْرُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَعَنْهُ أَخَذَهُ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ
Translation: Aisha Radhiyallahu Anha reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would perform witr with three rakaats, not making salaam except at the very end. (Mustadrak Haakim – 1140) Imam Haakim then says: This is also the witr of Ameerul Mu’mineen Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu and it is from him that the people of Madina took their practice.
عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ حَدَّثَتْهُ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ لَا يُسَلِّمُ فِي رَكْعَتَيِ الْوِتْرِ
Translation: Aisha Radhiyallahu Anha reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would not make salaam at the two rakaats of witr. (Sunan Nasaai – 1698)
عن المسور بن مخرمة قال: دفنا أبا بكر ليلا فقال عمر: إني لم أوتر فقام وصففنا وراءه فصلى بنا ثلاث ركعات لم يسلم إلا في آخرهن
Translation: Miswar ibn Makhrama Radhiyallahu Anhu says, we buried Abu Bakr Radhiyallahu Anhu at night. Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu said, I have not performed witr yet. So we made rows behind him and he led us in three rakaats, only making salaam once at the end of the third rakaat. (Sharh Ma’aniyal Aathaar – 1742)
عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال: الوتر ثلاث كوتر النهار صلاة المغرب
Translation: Ibn Masud Radhiyallahu Anhu said: Witr is three rakaats like the Witr of the day (which is) Maghrib. (Sharh Ma’aniyal Aathaar – 1744)
The analogy between maghrib and witr is that both are three rakaats, both have only one salaam, and both require a tashahhud at two rakaats.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: صَلَاةُ الْمَغْرِبِ وِتْرُ النَّهَار فأَوتروا صلاةَ الليل
Translation: Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, Maghrib salah is the witr of the day so make the witr of the night prayer too. (Musnad Ahmad – 4992)
This method of Witr is proven from Umar, Ubayyibn Ka’b, Ibn Masud, Anas, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, and others, Radhiyallahu Anhum Jamee’an.
The above narrations and positions of the sahabah prove that Witr is performed as three continuous rakaats, sitting for tashahhud (which is why it is like maghrib salah), and only making salaam at the third rakaat.
- The Qunoot is recited in the third rakaat before going into ruku.
عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثِ رَكَعَاتٍ، كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْأُولَى بِسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى، وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ بِقُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ، وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ بِقُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ، وَيَقْنُتُ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ
Translation: Ubay Ibn Ka’b Radhiyallahu Anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would perform witr as three rakaats reciting Surah A’laa in the first, Surah Kafiroon in the second and Surah Ikhlaas in the third, and he would do Qunoot before ruku. (Sunan Nasaai – 1699)
As for the hadith which states that don’t make witr like maghrib, then there are two major differences between our witr and maghrib salah.
- It is necessary to recite the Faatiha as well as a surah after it in the third rakaat of witr. This is not necessary in maghrib.
- It is necessary to recite the qunoot in the third rakaat of witr, before ruku, whereas this is not the case in maghrib.
- Other narrations quoted above show that witr is like the maghrib.
Therefore, we have practiced on all narrations. For more detail, one may refer to the book I’laa-us-Sunan of Allamah Zafar Ahmad Uthmani Rahimahullah (Volume 6 – Chapters of Witr).
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia