Do not make Witr like Maghrib

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

No, it is not true. It is necessary to pray Witr as three Rakahs with one Salam according to the Hanafi Madhab. This does not constitute making Witr like Maghrib. Since there are differences between the two prayers.

Explanation

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا تُوتِرُوا بِثَلَاثٍ تَشَبَّهُوا بِصَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَلَكِنْ أَوْتِرُوا بِخَمْسٍ، أَوْ بِسَبْعٍ، أَوْ بِتِسْعٍ، أَوْ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. قال الإمام الذهبي: على شرطهما

Abu Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do not pray Witr with three. Resembling the Maghrib prayer. Rather pray Witr with five, or seven, or nine, or eleven Rakahs, or more than that. (Mustadrak al-Hakim 1137, Sahih according to Imam al-Dhahabi).

The Sahih Hadith above prohibits us from praying Witr as three Rakahs and from making Witr like Maghrib. However, it raises some questions. Firstly, why is there consensus upon the fact that Witr can be prayed as three Rakahs? Secondly, we have Hadith proving the blessed Prophet ﷺ prayed it as three Rakahs, so how do we reconcile?

Against Ijma

وَالْإِيتَارُ بِالثَّلَاثِ جَائِزٌ إجْمَاعًا. (تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق)

Praying Witr with three is permitted by agreement. (Imam Fakhr al-Deen al-Zayla’i 743H, Tabyeen al-Haqaaiq).

لِلْإِجْمَاعِ عَلَى جَوَازِ الثَّلَاثِ وَعَلَى عَدَمِ وُجُوبِ الْخَمْسِ وَالسَّبْعِ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)

Due to unanimous agreement (Ijma) on the permissibility of three. And the non-obligation of five and seven. (Imam Ali al-Qari 1014H, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).

As seen in the Nusoos (texts) above, there is a consensus upon the permissibility of praying Witr as three Rakahs. Therefore, the Hadith prohibiting it and suggesting it renders Witr to be like Maghrib must be interpreted.

Explaining the Hadith

In the following Nusoos, Hanafi Imams interpret the Hadith prohibiting praying Witr as three Rakahs. They explain that it is an encouragement to pray Nafl prior to Witr. This interpretation became necessary due to other evidence clearly permitting three Rakah Witr prayer.

يحْتَمل كَرَاهَة الْوتر من غير تطوع قبله من الشفع، وَيكون الْمَعْنى: لَا توتروا بِثَلَاث رَكْعَات وَحدهَا من غير أَن يتقدمها شَيْء من التَّطَوُّع. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

It may be disliked to perform the Witr prayer without performing voluntary prayers before it, which would be even. So the meaning is: Do not pray the Witr prayer with three Rak’ahs alone, without any voluntary prayers preceding it. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari).

فَالْجَمْعُ عَلَى تَقْدِيرِ صِحَّتِهِ أَنَّ النَّهْيَ لِلتَّنْزِيهِ عَلَى الِاقْتِصَارِ بِثَلَاثٍ الْمُتَضَمِّنِ لِتَرْكِ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُقْتَضِي لِلِاكْتِفَاءِ بِمُجَرَّدِ الْوَاجِبِ كَصَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)

The reconciliation, if we assume authenticity (of the Hadith), is that the prohibition is Tanzeehi. Due to restricting it (night prayer) to three. Which necessitates leaving the night prayer. Since he limited himself to that which is Wajib like the Maghrib prayer. And Allah knows best. (Imam Ali al-Qari 1014H, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).

Maghrib is like Witr

The prohibition upon making Witr like Maghrib becomes more ambiguous when considering the following Hadith narration. In it the Prophet ﷺ himself likens Maghrib to Witr. This once again highlights the need to interpret or reconcile the Hadith above.

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: صَلَاةُ الْمَغْرِبِ وِتْرُ صَلَاةِ النَّهَارِ، فَأَوْتِرُوا صَلَاةَ اللَّيْلِ

(Sayidina) Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: The Maghrib prayer is the Witr prayer of the daytime. So, make the night prayer Witr (odd). (Nasai al-Kubra, 1386).

صلاة المغرب وتر صلاة النهار، فأوتروا صلاة الليل. وهذا السند على شرط الشيخين، وأخرجه الدارقطني أيضًا. (شرح سنن أبي داود)

The Maghrib prayer is the Witr prayer of the daytime. So, make the night prayer Witr (odd). This chain of narration is aligned with the conditions of the two Shaykhs. And al-Daraqutni narrated it too. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Sharh Abi Dawood).

The Prophet’s ﷺ practice

There are narrations that substantiate the blessed Prophet ﷺ praying Witr prayer as three Rakahs with one Salam. This is yet another proof against those who say doing so is not allow because you have rendered Witr like Maghrib.

عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ فِي الْوِتْرِ بِسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى، وَفِي الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ بِقُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ، وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ بِقُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ، وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ، وَيَقُولُ ـ يَعْنِي بَعْدَ التَّسْلِيمِ ـ: سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ. ثَلَاثًا

(Sayidina) Ubay bin Ka’b (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to recite Sabihismi Rabika al-Ala in Witr. In the second Rakah, Qul Ya Ayuhal Kafiroon, and Qul huwAllahu Ahad in the third. He (peace be upon him) would not make Salaam except at the end of them (the three Rakahs). And He (peace be upon him) used to say (after the final Salaam), Subhana al-Malik al-Qudoos, thrice. (Sunan al-Nasai 1701).

رجال إسناده ثقات إلا عبد العزيز بن خالد وهو مقبول. (نيل الأوطار)

The narrators in the chain are reliable, except for Abdal Aziz bin Khalid who is acceptable. (Imam al-Showkani, Nayl al-Atwar).

There is also a narration mentioning the Prophet prayed Witr as three Rakahs with one Salam in the Mustadrak of Imam al-Hakim (1140). However, that is a weaker narration than the one in Nasai above.

Another claim of Ijma

People of genuine knowledge know that claims of Ijma (consensus) are often unsubstantiated. So they must be scrutinised. The same is true of the following narration in which Imam Hasan al-Basri is claiming Ijma upon praying Witr as three Rakahs with one Salam.

However, it is also correct to say that even in situation where the claim of Ijma is not upheld, we tend to find a majority of scholars holding that view. So even if there is no consensus of being permitted to pray Witr as three Rakahs with one Salam, we would expect to find a majority of scholars deeming it permitted.

حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصٌ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ: أَجْمَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْوَتْرَ ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ

Hafs informed us from Amr that al-Hasan said: The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Witr prayer is Three. And the Salaam is not made except in the last of them. (Musanaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 6834).

Conclusion

As we see from the abundance of evidence above, Witr is prayed as three Rakahs with one Salam. This does not make Witr like Maghrib. Since Witr has Dua Qunoot in it and also a Surah in the third Rakah.

Also the Hadith telling us not to pray Witr as three Rakah and not make Witr like Maghrib, has to be interpreted. As there is an abundance of evidence that the Prophet prayed and allowed Witr as three Rakahs.

So the Hadith is interpreted as praying some Nafl before Witr. Thus you are not praying three Rakahs alone but  five or more. Although the Witr remains three Rakahs the prayer in totality is more.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (01.12.24)