إدريس عبدالله
_22 _June _2015هـ الموافق 22-06-2015م, 01:39 PM
ISSUE 1:
Note that the best hours to observe the night prayers are the last third of the night. This is backed by sound hadiths from Bukhari as that is also the time our Lord descends down to the lowest heaven as stated by the prophet (PBUH).
However, in Muslim it is reported that the prophet (PBUH) said: "And whoever fears that he may not be able to wake up to pray in the later part of the night should observe his witr in the early part. But he who can wake up in the last part should delay it till then because prayers in that hour are witnessed."
Thus it is clear that whoever observes his witr either in the early part of the night or the mid part is welcome. But observing it at the last part is the best. This is what was reported of the prophet (PBUH) from different narrations. Aisha used to say that in all nights, the prophet (PBUH) would observe his witr into moments before dawn. in another narration by Masruq that Aishat said that the prophet (PBUH) observed witr in the early part of the night, in the mid and also moments before dawn.
In this light, all the scholars agreed that witr can be observed after isha prayers whether prayed late into the night or jointly observed with maghrib in maghrib's time. But in any case, witr is not allowed before Isha prayers.
And whoever slept over or forgot to observe his witr has to observe it before Fajr prayers or whenever he remembers. The prophet (PBUH) was reported to have said that "Whoever slept over or forgot to observe his witr should do so whenever he remembers."
However, some scholars are of the opinion that if he remembers his witr after dawn that he should observe it in pair. They based their argument on the hadith of Aishat that whenever the prophet (PBUH) was overtaken by sleep or due to pain could not observe his witr; he would observe it in pairs of ten rakats in the day time.
But the second opinion says it should be observed in odd number as clearly stated in the hadith earlier mentioned. Al-Auza'I then added that he could pay for his missed witr as long as the next witr has not come in, for that would lead to combining two witr in one night.
In any case, whoever deliberately left witr until dawn has actually missed it. This is because the clear words of the prophet (PBUH) are that such a person must have either forgotten or slept over the witr and not that he deliberately allowed it to pass by. In a narration in Ibn Khuzaimah the prophet (PBUH) said that "He who the dawn caught up with has no witr." This can simply be said regarding that person who deliberately allowed dawn to meet up with him without observing witr.
Note that the best hours to observe the night prayers are the last third of the night. This is backed by sound hadiths from Bukhari as that is also the time our Lord descends down to the lowest heaven as stated by the prophet (PBUH).
However, in Muslim it is reported that the prophet (PBUH) said: "And whoever fears that he may not be able to wake up to pray in the later part of the night should observe his witr in the early part. But he who can wake up in the last part should delay it till then because prayers in that hour are witnessed."
Thus it is clear that whoever observes his witr either in the early part of the night or the mid part is welcome. But observing it at the last part is the best. This is what was reported of the prophet (PBUH) from different narrations. Aisha used to say that in all nights, the prophet (PBUH) would observe his witr into moments before dawn. in another narration by Masruq that Aishat said that the prophet (PBUH) observed witr in the early part of the night, in the mid and also moments before dawn.
In this light, all the scholars agreed that witr can be observed after isha prayers whether prayed late into the night or jointly observed with maghrib in maghrib's time. But in any case, witr is not allowed before Isha prayers.
And whoever slept over or forgot to observe his witr has to observe it before Fajr prayers or whenever he remembers. The prophet (PBUH) was reported to have said that "Whoever slept over or forgot to observe his witr should do so whenever he remembers."
However, some scholars are of the opinion that if he remembers his witr after dawn that he should observe it in pair. They based their argument on the hadith of Aishat that whenever the prophet (PBUH) was overtaken by sleep or due to pain could not observe his witr; he would observe it in pairs of ten rakats in the day time.
But the second opinion says it should be observed in odd number as clearly stated in the hadith earlier mentioned. Al-Auza'I then added that he could pay for his missed witr as long as the next witr has not come in, for that would lead to combining two witr in one night.
In any case, whoever deliberately left witr until dawn has actually missed it. This is because the clear words of the prophet (PBUH) are that such a person must have either forgotten or slept over the witr and not that he deliberately allowed it to pass by. In a narration in Ibn Khuzaimah the prophet (PBUH) said that "He who the dawn caught up with has no witr." This can simply be said regarding that person who deliberately allowed dawn to meet up with him without observing witr.