‘Abdallah b. Abu Qais said he asked ‘A’isha how many rak'as God’s Messenger prayed when observing a witr and she replied,“He used to observe a witr with four and three, six and three, eight and three, and ten and three, never observing one with less than seven or more than thirteen.”Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Ayyub reported God’s Messenger as saying,“The witr is a duty for every Muslim, so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'as he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three he may do so; and if anyone wishes to observe it with one he may do so.”Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying,“God is single (witr) and loves what is single, so observe the witr, you who follow the Qur’an.”Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying,“God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the witr, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.”* Literally“the red ones of the camels.”These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Zaid b. Aslam reported God’s Messenger as saying,“If any of you oversleeps and misses his witr, he should observe it in the morning.”Tirmidhi transmitted it in mursal form.

‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Juraij said he asked ‘A’isha what Qur’an passages God’s Messenger used when observing the witr and she replied:In the first rak'a he recited,“Glorify the name of your most high Lord,”in the second,“Say, O infidels,”and in the third,“Say, He is God, One,”and al-Mu‘awwidhatan. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Nasa’i transmitted it from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza.

Ahmad from Ubayy b. Ka‘b

Darimi from Ibn ‘Abbas, but the last two did not mention al-Mu'awwidhatan.

Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said:God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the witr. They were,“O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted art Thou, our Lord.”Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.