What is better during Ramadan: to pray Witr together with the congregation at the end of the Tarawih, or to leave it and pray it by oneself at the end of the night?
Question:
“If a person prays the Tarawih[1] in Ramadan together with the congregation and also has prayers at the end of the night, then which of the two is better and takes precedence; that he prays the Witr[2] with the congregation and prays his own Witr as Shaf'[3] or that he leaves off the Shaf' and Witr with the congregation and prays instead the Witr by himself at the end of the night?”
Answer:
“What is better is that he finishes together with the Imam, as Allah has legislated, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"If a person prays together with the Imam until he finishes, then Allah will also write down for him the rest of his night."
And that was when he صلى الله عليه وسلم lead the companions in some nights until the third of the night and in some other nights until the middle of the night in prayer, they said: “If you could lead us for the rest of the night in the supererogatory prayers, oh Messenger of Allah?"
So he صلى الله عليه وسلم replied:
“If a person prays together with the Imam until he finishes, then Allah will also write down for him the rest of his night."[4]
This is what is better; that he continues with the Imam until he prays the witr then if he prays at the end of the night his first witr is sufficient and he does not need to pray a second witr, and all praises belong to Allah. He prays the witr together with the Imam and prays at the end of the night as much as may be easy for him in even numbers without the witr as has preceded in the first question.”
Questioner:
“And if he prays the witr with the Imam and then (gets up and) prays his witr as an even number?”
Answer:
“There is no harm if he prays it as an even number, if he prays it as an even number together with the Imam; after the Imam makes the Tasleem[5] he stands up and prays another Raka'h[6] to make it an even number and then performs the witr at the last part of the night, then there's no problem with that. But that may be difficult upon him and it could be that the people think that he's showing off. If he suffices with the witr (together with the Imam) then that is absolutely sufficient and all praises belong to Allah. And if he prays it as even then there's no harm in that. There's no harm in him praying it as even and that he prays the witr at the end of the night. And if he suffices with the witr and then prays at the end of the night as much as may be easy for him two, four, six or eight Raka'hs or the like of that, then there's also no harm in that and that case there would be no need of praying another witr as the first witr is sufficient for him.”
[1] Special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan.
[2] Prayer with an odd number of units.
[3] A prayer with even numbers which is usually done before the witr.
[4] From the hadith of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, which has been declared Sahih by Shaykh Al-Albaanee, may Allah have mercy upon him.
[5] Saying the salaam at the end of the prayer.
[6] One unit of prayer.
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: www.binbaz.org.sa [Click here for screenshot in PDF format]
Use the player below or download the MP3 here.
“If a person prays the Tarawih[1] in Ramadan together with the congregation and also has prayers at the end of the night, then which of the two is better and takes precedence; that he prays the Witr[2] with the congregation and prays his own Witr as Shaf'[3] or that he leaves off the Shaf' and Witr with the congregation and prays instead the Witr by himself at the end of the night?”
Answer:
“What is better is that he finishes together with the Imam, as Allah has legislated, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"If a person prays together with the Imam until he finishes, then Allah will also write down for him the rest of his night."
And that was when he صلى الله عليه وسلم lead the companions in some nights until the third of the night and in some other nights until the middle of the night in prayer, they said: “If you could lead us for the rest of the night in the supererogatory prayers, oh Messenger of Allah?"
So he صلى الله عليه وسلم replied:
“If a person prays together with the Imam until he finishes, then Allah will also write down for him the rest of his night."[4]
This is what is better; that he continues with the Imam until he prays the witr then if he prays at the end of the night his first witr is sufficient and he does not need to pray a second witr, and all praises belong to Allah. He prays the witr together with the Imam and prays at the end of the night as much as may be easy for him in even numbers without the witr as has preceded in the first question.”
Questioner:
“And if he prays the witr with the Imam and then (gets up and) prays his witr as an even number?”
Answer:
“There is no harm if he prays it as an even number, if he prays it as an even number together with the Imam; after the Imam makes the Tasleem[5] he stands up and prays another Raka'h[6] to make it an even number and then performs the witr at the last part of the night, then there's no problem with that. But that may be difficult upon him and it could be that the people think that he's showing off. If he suffices with the witr (together with the Imam) then that is absolutely sufficient and all praises belong to Allah. And if he prays it as even then there's no harm in that. There's no harm in him praying it as even and that he prays the witr at the end of the night. And if he suffices with the witr and then prays at the end of the night as much as may be easy for him two, four, six or eight Raka'hs or the like of that, then there's also no harm in that and that case there would be no need of praying another witr as the first witr is sufficient for him.”
[1] Special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan.
[2] Prayer with an odd number of units.
[3] A prayer with even numbers which is usually done before the witr.
[4] From the hadith of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, which has been declared Sahih by Shaykh Al-Albaanee, may Allah have mercy upon him.
[5] Saying the salaam at the end of the prayer.
[6] One unit of prayer.
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: www.binbaz.org.sa [Click here for screenshot in PDF format]
Use the player below or download the MP3 here.
أيهما أفضل في رمضان أن يصلى الوتر مع الجماعة عقب التراويح أم يترك ويصليه آخر الليل منفردا
إذا كان المسلم يصلي مع الجماعة في رمضان صلاة التراويح، وكانت له صلاة في آخر الليل، فأيهما أحسن وأولى يوتر مع الجماعة ويشفع وتره، أم يترك الشفع والوتر مع الجماعة ويوتر آخر الليل؟
الأفضل أنه يكمل مع الإمام كما شرع الله ؛ لأن النبي -عليه الصلاة والسلام- قال : (إن الرجل إذا قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب الله له بقية ليلته). وذلك لما صلَّى بالصحابة في بعض الليالي إلى ثلث الليل وبعضها إلى نصف الليل قالوا: يا رسول الله لو نفلتنا بقية ليلتنا؟ قال: إن الرجل إذا قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب الله له بقية ليلته). هذا هو الأفضل أنه يستمر مع الإمام حتى يوتر ثم إذا صلى في آخر الليل يكفيه الوتر الأول ما عليه وتر ثاني، والحمد لله. يوتر مع الإمام ويصلي ما تيسر في آخر الليل شفعاً من دون وتر، كما تقدم في السؤال الأول. المقدم: لو أوتر مع الإمام ثم شفع وتره؟ الشيخ: إن شفع فلا بأس. إن شفع مع الإمام ، سلم الإمام فقام وأتى بركعة شفع ثم جعل الوتر آخر الليل فلا بأس، لكن هذا قد يثقل على النفوس، قد يعني يخشى صاحبه أن يُعدَّ بهذا مرائياً فالحاصل أنه إذا اكتفى بالوتر، فالحمد لله يكفي، وإن شفعه فلا حرج. إن شفعه وأوتر في آخر الليل فلا حرج، وإن اكتفى بالوتر ثم صلَّى في آخر الليل ما تيسر ركعتين، أو أربع، أو ست، أو ثمان، أو أشباه ذلك، فلا حرج، ولا حاجة إلى وتر، يكفيه الوتر الأول
إذا كان المسلم يصلي مع الجماعة في رمضان صلاة التراويح، وكانت له صلاة في آخر الليل، فأيهما أحسن وأولى يوتر مع الجماعة ويشفع وتره، أم يترك الشفع والوتر مع الجماعة ويوتر آخر الليل؟
الأفضل أنه يكمل مع الإمام كما شرع الله ؛ لأن النبي -عليه الصلاة والسلام- قال : (إن الرجل إذا قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب الله له بقية ليلته). وذلك لما صلَّى بالصحابة في بعض الليالي إلى ثلث الليل وبعضها إلى نصف الليل قالوا: يا رسول الله لو نفلتنا بقية ليلتنا؟ قال: إن الرجل إذا قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب الله له بقية ليلته). هذا هو الأفضل أنه يستمر مع الإمام حتى يوتر ثم إذا صلى في آخر الليل يكفيه الوتر الأول ما عليه وتر ثاني، والحمد لله. يوتر مع الإمام ويصلي ما تيسر في آخر الليل شفعاً من دون وتر، كما تقدم في السؤال الأول. المقدم: لو أوتر مع الإمام ثم شفع وتره؟ الشيخ: إن شفع فلا بأس. إن شفع مع الإمام ، سلم الإمام فقام وأتى بركعة شفع ثم جعل الوتر آخر الليل فلا بأس، لكن هذا قد يثقل على النفوس، قد يعني يخشى صاحبه أن يُعدَّ بهذا مرائياً فالحاصل أنه إذا اكتفى بالوتر، فالحمد لله يكفي، وإن شفعه فلا حرج. إن شفعه وأوتر في آخر الليل فلا حرج، وإن اكتفى بالوتر ثم صلَّى في آخر الليل ما تيسر ركعتين، أو أربع، أو ست، أو ثمان، أو أشباه ذلك، فلا حرج، ولا حاجة إلى وتر، يكفيه الوتر الأول