voluntary, as we have explained. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Allah has prescribed five prayers for His servants each day and night. Whoever observes them without neglecting any of them out of disregard for their due has a covenant with Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. Whoever does not observe them has no covenant with Allah: if He wills, He will punish him, and if He wills, He will admit him to Paradise.”
When Dimām ibn Thaʿlaba came to ask him about Islam, he, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Five prayers each day and night.” Dimām asked, “Am I required to offer any others?” He replied, “No, unless you do so voluntarily.”
Abū Hanīfa held that the witr prayer is obligatory. His evidence is the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him: “Allah has granted you an additional prayer alongside your prayers: the witr.” In our view, this means that He has granted you additional reward beyond the reward for your prayers. Had the meaning been what Abū Hanīfa maintained, he would have said, “He has imposed an additional prayer upon you alongside your prayers.”
Our scholars have argued that it is not obligatory, unlike the five prayers, [on the grounds that it is not made up after its time has passed, whereas the five prayers are made up] after their time has passed. This argument, however, has no force against the scholar who disagrees, since he requires it to be made up after its time has passed. Likewise, some have argued that it is not obligatory because it may be performed while riding a mount. This argument also has no force against the scholar who disagrees, since he does not permit that. Whoever deliberately omits it, or omits it without an excuse, incurs sin only because he turns away from the sunnah and intends to neglect it.
Section
The merit of prayers corresponds to their respective ranks. The obligatory prayer carries the greatest reward, followed by the funeral prayer, since it has been held to be a sunnah and has also been held to be a communal obligation. Next comes the witr prayer, since its status as a sunnah is undisputed, and it has also been held to be obligatory. Then come the two Eid prayers, the eclipse prayer, and the prayer for rain, since their status as sunnahs is undisputed. Next come the two units before the dawn prayer, since they have been held to be a sunnah; then those voluntary prayers designated as meritorious; then those