those images had been erased. He then prayed two rak‘ahs inside it. On the day of the conquest, he prayed eight rak‘ahs in the forenoon, as Umm Hāni’ reported. He did not deliberately pray in the forenoon except for a particular reason: for example, when returning from a journey, he would enter the mosque and pray two rak‘ahs there; or when sleep or illness prevented him from offering his night prayers, he would pray twelve rak‘ahs during the day. He normally prayed eleven rak‘ahs at night, but he prayed twelve—an even number—because the time for Witr had passed. For he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Maghrib is the odd-numbered prayer of the day, so make your night prayer odd-numbered.”

He also said:

“Make Witr the last of your prayers at night.”

And he said:

“The night prayer is offered two rak‘ahs at a time. When you fear that dawn is approaching, offer a single rak‘ah as Witr.”

It is reported from the early generations that, if they slept through Witr, they would offer it before the Fajr prayer and would not delay it until after that prayer. In the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah—may Allah be pleased with her—is reported to have said:

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—never offered the voluntary forenoon prayer, but I certainly do offer it. He would sometimes refrain from a deed he loved to perform for fear that people would practise it and it would then be made obligatory upon them.”

It is also established in the Sahīh that “he advised Abū Hurayrah and Abū al-Dardā’ to offer two rak‘ahs of the forenoon prayer.” There are other hadiths concerning this prayer. However, some scholars regarded the eight rak‘ahs he offered on the day of the conquest as the forenoon prayer.

Others said: He offered these only on the day of the conquest, so it is evident that he offered them on account of