Khusayf, reporting from Abd al-Aziz ibn Jurayj, said: “We asked Aishah: With what did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite when performing witr?” She answered: “In the first rakʿah he would recite Sabbih isma rabbika al-aʿla; in the second, Qul ya ayyuha al-kafirun; and in the third, Qul huwa Allahu ahad together with the two surahs of refuge (al-muʿawwidhatan).” Al-Tirmidhi commented: “A hasan gharib hadith,” while al-Hakim judged its chain “sahih.” I add: Their assessment is not accurate. Khusayf is truthful but of weak memory and suffered confusion late in life; hence al-Talkhis (4/253) remarks that “there is weakness in it.” His teacher, Abd al-Aziz ibn Jurayj, is likewise “layyin” (soft) according to al-Taqrib. Nevertheless, another isnad strengthens the report. It is transmitted by al-Tahawi (1/168), al-Daraqutni (p. 176), al-Hakim (1/305; 2/520), Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (no. 675 in al-Mawarid), and others, through Yahya ibn Ayyub → Yahya ibn Saʿid al-Ansari → Amrah → Aishah with the same wording. Al-Hakim ruled it “sahih on the conditions of the two shaykhs,” and al-Dhahabi agreed, which is correct. Yet al-Talkhis notes: “Yahya ibn Ayyub is its sole transmitter; scholars have discussed him, but he is trustworthy.” Al-Uqayli said: “The chain is acceptable, though the narration of Ibn Abbas and Ubayy ibn Kab—omitting the muʿawwidhatan—is stronger.” Ibn al-Jawzi reported that Ahmad and Yahya ibn Main rejected the addition of the muʿawwidhatan. Ibn al-Sakan, in his Sahih, furnished a supporting narration from Abd Allah ibn Sarjis with an unusual chain. In my view, all this evidence overturns the claim that mentioning the two surahs of refuge is objectionable.