would not perform the obligatory prayer on it. This is because the dawn prayer is not shortened when travelling, so its Sunnah prayer remains unchanged, unlike the prayers that are shortened during travel. Witr is an independent prayer, like the rest of the night prayer, which is the best prayer after the obligatory prayers. In some respects, the Sunnah prayer before dawn also comes under night prayer. For this reason, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would perform it when travelling: it is independent, and the reason for offering it remains in force.

The correct position is to say:

There is no regular Sunnah prayer with a prescribed number of rakʿahs before the Friday prayer, even if there had been two calls to prayer in his time. It is authentically reported from him in the Sahīh that he said:

“Between every two calls to prayer there is a prayer; between every two calls to prayer there is a prayer; between every two calls to prayer there is a prayer.”

Then, the third time, he added, “For whoever wishes,” lest people adopt it as an established Sunnah.

This authentic hadith indicates that prayer is prescribed before the afternoon prayer, before the night prayer, and before the sunset prayer, but that it is not a regular Sunnah prayer. It is also established that his Companions would pray between the two calls for the sunset prayer while he watched them. He neither forbade them nor instructed them to do so, nor did he do so himself. This indicates that it is permissible.

Some have cited his words as evidence for praying before the Friday prayer:

“Between every two calls to prayer there is a prayer.”

Others have countered this by saying: The call to prayer given from the pulpits did not exist during the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Rather, ʿUthmān ordered it when the population increased during his time, and the people could no longer hear the call given when he came out and sat on the pulpit.

It may reasonably be said that when ʿUthmān instituted this call to prayer