Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 5, Hadith 113
‘Abd Allah b. Abi Qais said that he asked ‘Aishah: How many rak’ahs would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray observing the witr ? She said: He used to observe the witr with four and three, six and three, eight and three, and ten and three rak’ahs never observing less than seven or more than thirteen. The narrator Ahmad added in his version: He would not observe the witr with two rak’ahs before the dawn. I asked: With what would he observe the witr ? She said: He would never leave it. The version of Ahmad does not mention the words “six and three (rak’ahs)”.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الْمُرَادِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها : بِكَمْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُوتِرُ قَالَتْ : كَانَ يُوتِرُ بِأَرْبَعٍ وَثَلاَثٍ، وَسِتٍّ وَثَلاَثٍ، وَثَمَانٍ وَثَلاَثٍ، وَعَشْرٍ وَثَلاَثٍ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُوتِرُ بِأَنْقَصَ مِنْ سَبْعٍ، وَلاَ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ زَادَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ : وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ . قُلْتُ : مَا يُوتِرُ قَالَتْ : لَمْ يَكُنْ يَدَعُ ذَلِكَ . وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ أَحْمَدُ : وَسِتٍّ وَثَلاَثٍ .
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 5, Hadith 113
This hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. What truly distinguishes Sunan Abi Dawud among its peers is its compiler’s advanced critical scholarship. Abu Dawud was not merely a collector but a rigorous evaluator. He applied a discerning methodology to vet the authenticity of each narration, frequently providing his own notes on the strength or weakness of the hadiths included. While he prioritized sound (sahih) and reliable reports for legal derivation, he sometimes included less robust narrations to illustrate scholarly points. This transparent and critical approach is a primary reason for the collection’s esteemed and highly authoritative status within the Islamic sciences.
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For more Hadith in Book 5: Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Voluntary Prayers