Can a Muslim pray one Rakat of Witr?

[bladeknight]

I know that in the Witr Prayer, you can pray an odd number of rakats. So if that is the case, can a Muslim pray only one rakat of witr if that person wants to.

[hope1]

I know that in the Witr Prayer, you can pray an odd number of rakats. So if that is the case, can a Muslim pray only one rakat of witr if that person wants to.

Assalamu aliakum, Witr is 3 rak'ats in the Hanafi madhab with one salaam.

[rqsnnt]

Assalam Alaikum

A Muslim can pray Witr according saheeh hadiths say. We have observed that many Authentic hadiths r proving that a muslim can perform Witr One Rakat, Three Rakat, Five Rakat. Plz see below

Sahih Muslim
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Book 4, Number 1602:
'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to pray eleven rak'ahs at night, observing the Witr with a single rak'ah, and when he had finished them, he lay down on his right side, till the Mu'adhdhin came to him and he (the Holy Prophet) then observed two short rak'ahs (of Sunan of the dawn prayer).

Book 4, Number 1603:
'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), said that between the time when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) finished the 'Isha' prayer which is called 'Atama by the people, he used to pray eleven rak'ahs, uttering the salutation at the end of every two rak'ahs, and observing the Witr with a single one. And when the Mu'adhdhin had finished the call (for the) dawn prayer and he saw the dawn clearly and the Mu'adhdhin had come to him, he stood up and prayed two short rak'ahs. Then he lay down on his right side till the Mu'adhdhin came to him for lqama. (This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by Ibn Shihab, but in it no mention has been made of Iqama )


Sahih Bukhari
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Volume 3, Book 32, Number 230:
Narrated Abu Salama bin 'Abdur Rahman:

that he asked 'Aisha "How was the prayer of Allah's Apostle in Ramadan?" She replied, "He did not pray more than eleven Rakat in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to pray four Rakat ---- let alone their beauty and length----and then he would pray four ----let alone their beauty and length ----and then he would pray three Rakat (Witr)." She added, "I asked, 'O Allah's Apostle! Do you sleep before praying the Witr?' He replied, 'O 'Aisha! My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."


Volume 2, Book 21, Number 238:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar :

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! How is the prayer of the night?" He said, "Two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on, and when you apprehend the approaching dawn, offer one Raka as Witr."


Sunan Abu-Dawud
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Book 2, Number 1329:
Narrated 'A'ishah:

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to pray ten rak'ahs during the night, and would observe the witr with one rak'ah; he then prayed two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. Thus he prayed thirteen rak'ahs in all.


Book 2, Number 1330:
Narrated 'A'ishah, wife of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him):

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to pray eleven rak'ahs (at night), observing the witr with one rak'ah. When he finished it (the prayer), he would lie down on his right side.


Book 2, Number 1335:
Narrated 'A'ishah:

The Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night. He would offer eight rak'ahs observing the witr with one rak'ah. Then he prayed (the narrator Muslim said) two rak'ahs after witr prayer in sitting position. When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed. He used to pray two rak'ahs between the call to the dawn prayer and the iqamah.


Book 2, Number 1351:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimunah. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came after the evening had come. He asked: Did the boy pray? She said: Yes. Then he lay down till a part of night had passed as much as Allah willed; he got up, performed ablution and prayed seven or five rak'ahs, observing witr with the. He uttered the salutation only in the last of them.

Book 2, Number 1353:
Narrated Sa'id b. Jubair:

Ibn 'Abbas told me: He (the Prophet) got up and prayed eight rak'ahs in pairs, and then observed witr with five rak'ahs and he did not sit between them.


Book 2, Number 1354:
Narrated 'A'ishah:

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs, observing six rak'ahs in pairs including the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. He would observe witr with five rak'ahs. He sat only in the last of them.

yes a Muslim can perform any one of these Authentic Rakat according to hadiths.
Salam

[rqsnnt]

Assalam Alaikum

Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr
Dawud :: Book 8 : Hadith 1417
Narrated AbuAyyub al-Ansari:

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The witr is a duty for every Muslim so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'ahs, he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three, he may do so, and if anyone wishes to observe it with one, he may do so.

Salam

[hope1]

Assalamu aliakum,

So you agree that the witr is a duty (i.e. it is wajib) - as per the wording of the hadith?

[rqsnnt]

Assalamu aliakum
It's not a matter of agree or disagree of me. Matter is Task according to Prophetic instruction.

Salam

[The Fake Shaykh]

asalamu alykum

he Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Witr is a duty, so whoever does not perform witr is not of us,” and he repeated it three times. [Abu Dawud and Ahmad; the hadith is sound, as discussed by Zayla`i in Nasb al-Raya (2.112) and`Ayni in `Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari (7.11);]

[The Fake Shaykh]

I know that in the Witr Prayer, you can pray an odd number of rakats. So if that is the case, can a Muslim pray only one rakat of witr if that person wants to.

The minimum number of rakats for witr in the Hanafi school is 3. They understood the 1-rakat narrations to mean, "added one rakat more to a 2-rakat prayer," as explained by Imam Abu Ja`far al-Tahawi in his Sharh Ma`ani al-Athar [1.277-282] for many reasons, including the fact that besides this, it is agreed that there is no such thing as a one-rakat prayer. You cannot, for example, pray "1 rakat nafl for Allah...."

The Hanafi position's strength is indicated by the fact that it is reported from Hasan al-Basri (Allah be pleased with him) that there was general agreement of the early generations (salaf) that witr is 3 rakats [this was reported by Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf and by Imam Tahawi]

The great faqih of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him), said, Witr is 3 rakats, like the rakats of Maghrib, and he said, One rakat does not fulfill it. [Zayla`i, Tabyin al-Haqa'iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa'iq, 1.170, and see Nasb al-Raya for details regarding these and other narrations]

Imam Kamal Ibn al-Humam (Allah have mercy on him), one of greatest jurists of the latter half of Islamic history, discussed this extensively in his Fath al-Qadir, showing that the Hanafi position was that which was adopted by the majority of the Companions. [ Fath al-Qadir, 1.427]

wasalam

['Abdullaah]

@ br. bladeknight,
It depends on which school of law you follow.

As the brothers have already mentioned, in the Hanafi school, you can not pray one rakah salah. For witr, it would be three rakahs.
However, other schools permit it, though you might have to find out all the details and conditions attached to it.

And Allaah knows best.

[rqsnnt]

@ br. bladeknight,
It depends on which school of law you follow.

As the brothers have already mentioned, in the Hanafi school, you can not pray one rakah salah. For witr, it would be three rakahs.
However, other schools permit it, though you might have to find out all the details and conditions attached to it.

And Allaah knows best.

Assalamu aliakum
Brother Abdullaah, just want to know is there any punishment if any one don't follow his school of law's prescribed rakat?

Salam