Sayyiduna Abu Mas’ud Uqbah bin Amr Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes perform the Witr prayer in the early part of the night, sometimes in the middle part, and at times in the last part of the night.

Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Witr prayer in every part of the night, but his (peace and blessings be upon him) Witr would be completed by the time of Suhoor.

It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes perform Witr before sleeping and sometimes after sleeping. Similarly, he would sometimes perform the ritual bath (ghusl) of janabah before sleeping and sometimes he would sleep before performing this bath.

It is narrated from Abu Nahik that Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) used to deliver sermons to the people. One day he said that whoever reaches the morning, there is no Witr for him. Upon hearing this, some people went to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and informed her of this statement, but she replied: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform Witr even after the morning had come.

Abd Khair says: We were in the mosque when Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us and asked, "Where is the one who was asking about Witr?" Among us was one who had already prayed one rak‘ah (of Witr), but one rak‘ah remained for him, so he completed that rak‘ah. Then all of us gathered around him. He (Ali) said: "At first, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then he started praying it in the middle of the night, but later he maintained the performance of Witr at the time close to the break of dawn."

It is narrated from a man of Banu Asad, he says: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us, and people asked him about Witr. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to offer Witr at that time. Then he said: Ibn Tayyah! Say "As-salatu khayrun minan-nawm" or give the adhan or give the iqamah. In another narration, the words are: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came out at the time when the mu’adhdhin gave the adhan for Fajr prayer including the words "As-salatu khayrun minan-nawm." Then the rest of the hadith was mentioned.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two rak'ahs at a time during the night, and in the last part of the night he would perform one rak'ah of Witr. Then he would stand (to perform the two Sunnah rak'ahs of Fajr), and (he would perform them so quickly) as if the call to prayer (adhan) or the iqamah was being recited in his ear.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Perform the Witr prayer before the morning (Fajr) arrives.

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The Maghrib prayer is the witr of the day’s prayers, and you should make the night prayers odd (by performing witr), and the night prayer is in sets of two rak‘ahs, and at the end of the night, witr is one rak‘ah.

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Make Witr the last prayer of your night.