And this isnad is weak. (Benefit) It is nonetheless established that the Prophet prayed these two rakʿahs from the hadith of ʿAishah as well, recorded by Muslim (2/169), by Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban with a sound-good chain, and by others as part of his practice. At first glance they seem to conflict with his saying: “Make the last of your night prayer an odd number (witr),” a report transmitted by the six compilers except Ibn Majah. The most plausible conclusion is that he occasionally performed the two rakʿahs merely to demonstrate their permissibility, so the command is not obligatory. Allah knows best; see al-Majmuʿ (4/16). Later I came across a sound hadith that positively enjoins the two rakʿahs after witr; the command thus accords with the Prophet’s action, confirming that the two rakʿahs are legislated for everyone. The earlier directive is therefore to be taken as recommending the practice, not making it mandatory. I have documented this hadith in al-Sahihah (no. 1993). Praise be to Allah for His guidance. (1) Two hadiths have been transmitted on this subject: The first is from Abu Hurayrah. ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abi Rafiʿ relates: “Marwan appointed Abu Hurayrah to govern Madinah while he himself went to Mecca. Abu Hurayrah then led us in the Friday prayer, and after Surah al-Jumuʿah (62) he recited in the second rakʿah: ‘Idha jaʾaka al-munafiqun’ (Surah al-Munafiqun, 63). When the prayer was finished I met Abu Hurayrah and said, ‘You have just recited the two surahs that ʿAli ibn Abi Talib used to recite in Kufah.’ Abu Hurayrah replied:”}