Sayyiduna Kharijah bin Hudhafah ‘Adawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and said:“Indeed, Allah the Exalted has added for you a prayer which is better for you than red camels; its time is between ‘Isha and the rising of Fajr.”

Ibn Muhairiz al-Qurashi al-Jumahi, who lived in the land of Sham, lived during the time of Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). He reported that a man from Banu Kinanah, Mukhdaaji, informed him that in the land of Sham there was a person whose kunya was Abu Muhammad and who was a companion, and he said that Witr is obligatory. Mukhdaaji went to Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) and mentioned this to him. Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Abu Muhammad has lied. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'There are five prayers which Allah, the Exalted, has made obligatory upon His servants. Whoever brings them while having fulfilled their due rights, without neglecting anything in their performance, for him there is a covenant with Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. And whoever does not bring them (i.e., neglects the prayers, not considering them important), then there is no covenant or guarantee from Allah for him; if He wills, He will punish him, and if He wills, He will admit him to Paradise.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaidullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with disheveled hair. He said: "O Messenger of Allah! How many prayers has Allah made obligatory upon me?" He replied: "Five prayers, and fasting (is also) obligatory." After that, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed him of the rulings of the religion. So he said: "By Him Who has honored you, I will neither decrease nor increase anything from these obligations." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By his father, if he has spoken truthfully from his heart, he has succeeded." ... Or he said: "By his father, if he has spoken the truth, he will enter Paradise."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Witr is not obligatory like the (fard) prayer, but it is Sunnah and do not abandon it.