Question 115 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2

Source footnotes

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↑ [267] Al-Zumar 39:42.

↑ [268] Abu Basir narrated from Abu Abdullah (a), who said: ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not spend the night without witr.’ I said, ‘Do you mean the two rak‘ahs after the final evening prayer?’ He said: ‘Yes. They are counted as one rak‘ah. Whoever performs them and then death befalls him dies having performed witr. If death does not befall him, he performs witr at the end of the night.’ I asked him, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah (s) perform these two rak‘ahs?’ He said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said: ‘Because revelation came to the Messenger of Allah (s), and he knew whether or not he would die that night, while others do not know. For this reason he did not perform them and commanded others to perform them.’ Ilal al-Sharai, vol. 2, pp. 330–331. It appears that the most important part of the night prayer is witr, which represents the night prayer. For this reason, the Messenger (s) and the Imams commanded that it not be lost and that it be performed after the evening prayer out of fear that death might arrive suddenly during the night and deprive the believer of it. The Messenger (s) did not perform it then because he knew the night on which he would die, as stated in the preceding narration. For this reason as well, one overtaken by the time may suffice with the witr prayer alone, as in the following narration. Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Abu Jafar (a): I asked him about a man who rises at the end of the night and fears that dawn will take him by surprise. Should he begin with witr, or perform the prayer in its proper order so that witr is at the end? He said: ‘Rather, he begins with witr.’ He said: ‘I would do that.’ Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 449. It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s) that he said: ‘The night prayer is two by two. When you fear dawn, perform witr with one rak‘ah. Allah the Exalted loves the odd because He is One.’ Ilal al-Sharai, vol. 2, p. 468. Emphasis has likewise been placed upon performing the witr prayer, without permitting its omission from among the night prayer, upon making it up if missed, and upon supplication being answered during it, as in the following narrations. Abu Abdullah (a) said: ‘Supplication is answered in four places: during witr, after dawn, after noon, and after sunset.’ Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 477. Jafar ibn Muhammad-Allah’s prayers be upon him-narrated from his father, from his forefathers, ‘The Messenger of Allah (s) commanded witr, and Ali-Allah’s prayers be upon him-was strict concerning it and did not permit its omission. He said: “Whoever reaches morning without performing witr should perform witr when morning comes,” meaning he should make it up if he missed it.’ Daim al-Islam by Qadi al-Numan al-Maghribi, vol. 1, p. 203. Abu Abdullah Jafar ibn Muhammad-Allah’s prayers be upon him-said concerning the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, ‘Glorify Him by night and at the setting of the stars’: ‘It is witr at the end of the night.’ Daim al-Islam by Qadi al-Numan al-Maghribi, vol. 1, p. 204. (Commentator.)