(1) I say: Ibn Umar’s remark, “and he would perform witr on it,” shows that offering the witr prayer on one’s mount is likewise permissible. This is the view of Malik, al-Shafii, Ahmad, and the majority, as al-Nawawi notes in his Sharh Muslim, whereas our three imams maintain that it is impermissible. Al-Tahawi (1/249) replied to the reports that mention performing witr on a riding animal—including those he cited summarily from Ibn Umar—by declaring them abrogated. He said: “Such is the position of Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad.” He argued from the report transmitted through Yazid b. Sinan—Abu Asim—Hanzalah b. Abi Sufyan—Nafi—-Ibn Umar, that “he used to pray on his mount but would perform witr on the ground, claiming that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did likewise.” The chain is sound. This, however, furnishes no proof of abrogation at all, for the Prophet ﷺ, just as he sometimes performed witr on his mount, also performed it on the ground. The latter is the norm, while the former was allowed as a concession; hence there is no contradiction. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar states in Fath al-Bari (2/458): “His words, ‘and he would perform witr on it,’ do not conflict with what Ahmad transmits with a sound chain from Said b. Jubayr—that Ibn Umar prayed supererogatory prayers on his mount, and when he intended to perform witr he dismounted and prayed on the ground—because he in fact did both. The present narration is further supported by what has already been cited in the chapters on witr: that he reproached Said b. Yasar for dismounting in order to pray witr. He reproved him—although he himself sometimes did so—only to show that dismounting is not obligatory.” End quote. I add: His reproach is the strongest evidence that no abrogation is involved here.