Sunan Abi Dawud
Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr — Hadith #1434
Traditional grade: Sahih, Hasan How we grade
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زَكَرِيَّا، يَحْيَى بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ السَّيْلَحِينِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ " مَتَى تُوتِرُ " قَالَ أُوتِرُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ . وَقَالَ لِعُمَرَ " مَتَى تُوتِرُ " . قَالَ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ . فَقَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ " أَخَذَ هَذَا بِالْحَزْمِ " . وَقَالَ لِعُمَرَ " أَخَذَ هَذَا بِالْقُوَّةِ " .
The Prophet (ﷺ) asked AbuBakr: When do you observe the witr?
He replied: I observe the witr prayer in the early hours of the night.
The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Umar: When do you observe the witr?
He replied: At the end of the night.
He then said to AbuBakr: This has followed it with care; and he said to Umar: He has followed it with strength.
Hadith Grading
Each grade below reflects one scholar's assessment of the chain of transmission. The grade describes the chain, not the Prophet's words. How we grade
Traditional grade: Sahih, Hasan