Nafl salat after Witr salat

Question:

Some people offer two rakats salat after witr salat. What is the origin and ruling of this salat?

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

It is mentioned in some hadiths that the Holy Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said “Make witr your last salat for the night”. In other hadiths, it is mentioned that the Holy Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) offered two rakats of nafl salat after witr. Based on the first hadith, the ulama say that not offering any nafl salat after witr is mustahab (ie. better and commendable); and based on the second hadith, the ulama say that offering nafl after witr is permissible and not sinful. (Fat-hul Qadeer: 1/454; Ahsanul Fatawa 3/500).

In short, it is permissible and not sinful to offer two or more rakats of nafl after witr. However it is better and mustahab to make witr the last prayer of the night. The reason why Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) sometimes offered two rakats nafl after witr was to teach the ummah that it is permissible and not sinful to offer nafl after witr. Had the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) not done this, people would have thought (due to the first hadith mentioned above) that it is compulsory to make witr the last salat of the night

Hence if someone offers nafl salat after witr or he does not do so, in both cases he should not be rebuked or criticised.

في فتح القدير (1/454 ط رشيدية): فرع: أوتر قبل النوم ثم قام من الليل فصلى لا يوتر ثانيا لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم "لا وتران في ليلة" ولزمه ترك المستحب المفاد بقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم "اجعلوا آخر صلاتكم بالليل وترا" ﻷنه لا يمكن شفع الأول لامتناع التنفل بركعة أو ثلاث.

And Allah Ta'ala knows best.

Faizal Riza
16/6/2015

Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

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