Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/14)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

odd. It is recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. (1) His words, “let him pray one rak'ah,” indicate that the minimum Witr is one rak'ah. Thus, if a person limits himself to that, he has fulfilled the sunnah.

“Two by two, and he prays Witr with one. If he prays Witr with five or seven, he does not sit except at its end. With nine, he sits after the eighth, recites the tashahhud without concluding with salām, then prays the ninth, recites the tashahhud, and concludes with salām ...”

His statement, “Two by two,” means that he prays them two rak'ahs at a time.

His statement, “and he prays Witr with one. If he prays Witr with five or seven, he does not sit except at its end. With nine, he sits after the eighth, recites the tashahhud without concluding with salām, then prays the ninth, recites the tashahhud, and concludes with salām,” is based on Aishah’s statement: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray eleven rak'ahs at night, making one of them Witr.” In another wording: “He would conclude with salām after every two rak'ahs, and pray Witr with one.” (2)

Thus, Witr may be prayed as three rak'ahs, five rak'ahs, seven rak'ahs, or nine rak'ahs. If one prays Witr as three rak'ahs, there are two prescribed ways of doing so:

The first manner is to pray the three consecutively with one tashahhud. (3)

The second manner is to conclude with salām after two rak'ahs, then pray one rak'ah as Witr. (4)

(1) Its sourcing was given previously on p. 9. (2) Its sourcing was given previously on p. 11. (3) This is based on the hadith of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would not say the salam after the two rak'ahs of Witr.” Another wording states: “He would perform Witr with three rak'ahs and would not sit except in the last of them.” Reported by Malik in al-Muwatta, no. 466; al-Nasai, 3:234; and al-Hakim, 1:304, who declared it authentic, and al-Dhahabi agreed. The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, said in Majalis Shahr Ramadan: “If he wishes, he may perform them consecutively with one salam, based on al-Tahawi's report that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, performed Witr with three rak'ahs and did not say the salam except at their end.” (4) Its sourcing was given previously on p. 11.

ما قد صَلَّى» وهو في «الصحيحين» (١) فقوله: «صَلَّى ركعةً واحدةً» يدلُّ على أن أقل الوتر ركعة واحدة، فإذا اقتصر الإنسان عليها فقد أتى بالسُّنَّةِ. مَثْنَى، وَيُوتِرُ بِوَاحِدَةٍ، وَإِنْ أَوْتَرَ بِخَمْسٍ أَوْ سَبْعٍ لَمْ يَجْلِسْ إِلاَّ فِي آخِرِهَا، وَبِتِسْعٍ يَجْلِسُ عَقِبَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَتَشَهَّدُ وَلَا يُسَلِّم، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ، وَيَتَشَهَّدُ وَيُسَلِّمُ ........ قوله: «مثنى مثنى» أي: يصليها اثنتين اثنتين. قوله: «ويوتر بواحدة، وإن أوتر بخمس أو سبع لم يجلس إلا في آخرها، وبتسع يجلس عقب الثامنة فيتشهد ولا يسلم، ثم يصلي التاسعة ويتشهد ويسلم» لقول عائشة: «كان رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي باللَّيلِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكعةً، يُوتِرُ منها بواحدةٍ» وفي لفظ: «يُسلِّمُ بين كُلِّ رَكعتين، ويوتِرُ بواحدةٍ» (٢). فيجوزُ الوِترُ بثلاثٍ، ويجوزُ بخمسٍ، ويجوزُ بسبعٍ، ويجوزُ بتسعٍ، فإنْ أوترَ بثلاثٍ فله صِفتان كِلتاهُما مشروعة: الصفة الأولى: أنْ يَسْرُدَ الثَّلاثَ بِتَشهدٍ واحدٍ (٣). الصفة الثانية: أنْ يُسلِّمَ مِن رَكعتين، ثم يُوتِرَ بواحدة (٤).

(١) تقدم تخريجه ص (٩). (٢) تقدم تخريجه ص (١١). (٣) لحديث عائشة ﵂ قالت: «كان النبي ﷺ لا يسلم في ركعتي الوتر». وفي لفظ: «كان يوتر بثلاث لا يقعد إلا في آخرهن». أخرجه مالك في «الموطأ» (٤٦٦)؛ والنسائي (٣/ ٢٣٤)؛ والحاكم (١/ ٣٠٤) وصححه ووافقه الذهبي. وقال الشيخ ﵀ في مجالس شهر رمضان: «فإن أحب سردها بسلام واحد لما روى الطحاوي أن عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ أوتر بثلاث ركعات لم يسلم إلا في آخرهن». (٤) تقدم تخريجه ص (١١).