Opens in a new tab

Recitation in Witr Prayer

Answered by 

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Which three surahs did the Beloved of Allah used to recite in the witr prayer? I remember reading something on it in which it said he used to recite, surah Ikhlaas, Surah Kafirun and I don’t recall the third one

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam,

It is established through the sunna of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that it is recommended to recite:

Surat al-A`la in the first rakat of the witr prayer, after the Fatiha;

Surat al-Kafirun in the second, after the Fatiha;

and Surat al-Ikhlas in the third, after the Fatiha.

This is established through various hadiths, such as the hadith related from Ubayy ibn Ka`b (Allah be pleased with him) by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Nasa’i. [Ibn Nujaym, al-Bahr al-Ra’q, 2.46-47 and Ibn Hajar, Bulugh al-Maram] The hadith commentators mention that this also shows that the witr is 3 rakats.

However, it is recommended not to recite this in every single witr prayer, lest one start thinking it to be necessary (while it is recommended). [ibid.]

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani

وَلَوْ سَلَّمَ سَاهِيًا إنْ بَعْدَ إمَامِهِ لَزِمَهُ السَّهْوُ وَإِلَّا لَا

قال ابن نُجَيم في البحر الرائق: (2/46-47) وَقَدْ قَدَّمْنَا مِنْ فِعْلِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم { أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْأُولَى { سَبِّحْ اسْمَ رَبِّك الْأَعْلَى } وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ { قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ } وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ { قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ } } فَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آيَةٍ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ مِنْهُ فَرْضٌ وَتَعْيِينَ الْفَاتِحَةِ مَعَ قِرَاءَةِ ثَلَاثِ آيَاتٍ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ وَاجِبٌ وَالسُّوَرُ الثَّلَاثُ فِيهِ سُنَّةٌ لَكِنْ ذَكَرَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَقْرَأَ سُورَةً مُتَعَيِّنَةً عَلَى الدَّوَامِ لِأَنَّ الْفَرْضَ هُوَ مُطْلَقُ الْقِرَاءَةِ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ } وَالتَّعْيِينُ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ يُفْضِي إلَى أَنْ يَعْتَقِدَ  بَعْضُ النَّاسِ أَنَّهُ وَاجِبٌ وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ غَيْرُهُ لَكِنْ لَوْ قَرَأَ بِمَا وَرَدَ بِهِ الْآثَارُ أَحْيَانًا يَكُونُ حَسَنًا وَلَكِنْ لَا يُوَاظِبُ لِمَا ذَكَرْنَا ا هـ .  في بلوغ المرام: ( 357 ) – وَعَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ { : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُوتِرُ { بِ سَبِّحْ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى } , { قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ } , { وَقُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ } } , رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَزَادَ : { وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ إلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ }

Original Source Link

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

Tags: Abu Dawud, Hadith, Ibn Hajar, Prayer, rakaat, sunnah, Witr

Link