witr itself, the ḥadīth clearly shows that it is not obligatory, for witr recurs every night; had it been a duty, the Messenger ﷺ would certainly have informed that man of it. The correct view, therefore, is that witr is an emphatically recommended sunnah, not a requirement: whoever omits it incurs no sin, but one who persistently abandons it forfeits his moral uprightness. Imām Aḥmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Whoever leaves off witr is an evil man; his testimony should not be accepted.”

With regard to fasting, nothing beyond the fast of Ramaḍān is binding upon a person—unless he makes a vow. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever vows to obey Allah must fulfill his vow.”

Likewise, no monetary payment apart from zakāh is obligatory on one’s wealth, except for expenditures whose obligation is tied to a specific cause—such as the maintenance of one’s wife and relatives—each of which becomes compulsory when its particular cause is present.

When the man was leaving he declared, “By Allah, I will add nothing to this and I will not lessen it.” Thus he pledged before Allah, by an oath, neither to exceed nor fall short of what had been mentioned. The Prophet ﷺ commented, “He will prosper if he is truthful; he will prosper if he is truthful.” This demonstrates that a person who confines himself to what the Sacred Law has made obligatory attains success. It does not, however, mean that performing voluntary deeds is unnecessary, for those supererogatory acts will perfect the obligatory ones on the Day of Resurrection. How many people perform the compulsory acts yet they contain flaws, gaps, and blemishes that need to be repaired and completed.