What is the ruling concerning the Witr prayer?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The obligatory prescribed prayers are five in number daily, and there is no disagreement among Muslims regarding their obligation. Any additional prayer is only obligatory due to a specific vow (Nidhr) or similar cause. This is the position held by the majority of scholars. The primary evidence against the Witr being obligatory rests on the narration from Anas ibn Malik, where the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned that Allah initially obligated fifty prayers upon his Ummah, which was later reduced to five, affirming: "They are five, and they are fifty; My saying is not changed with Me," as agreed upon. Furthermore, the hadith of Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah confirms that when an Arab asked the Prophet about obligatory prayers, the answer was five, and the Prophet confirmed, "He has succeeded if he spoke truthfully," regarding the man who vowed not to add or subtract from them.
Supporting text
Abu Hanifa holds that Witr is obligatory based on the hadith stating: "Indeed, Allah has added a prayer for you, and it is the Witr," implying its obligation, and the statement, "The Witr is a due right (Haqq)." However, the majority hold that any additional prayer can be fulfilled through voluntary Sunnah prayers. Moreover, since Witr can be prayed while mounted without necessity, it should be considered voluntary, similar to the confirmed Sunnah prayers (Rawatib).