Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 8, Hadith 19

Narrated AbuQatadah: 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.

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 ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 8, Hadith 19

 
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.

Use the tags to drill down deeper and find connections and new streams of information to help you fill gaps in knowledge and better connect the dots. Eman and Life is a growing database of knowledge with the mission to help further us in our pursuit of the best lifestyle through the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

 

For more Hadith in Book 8: Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr
 

Categories