Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother,

 
I sometimes leave the witr in Isha prayer and plan to get up for tahajud as leaving the witr prayer will for sure make me get up when the alarm goes off for being afraid of not offering it but if i don't then i may turn the alarm off and go back to sleep. Its just a way to force me to fight the sleep off. But if i cannot get up is my isha prayer valid even though i haven't offered the witr at isha nor at tahajud?

Secondly, What if i have offered the witr prayer at isha and then i also get up at tahajud, will that count. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to finish the night prayer with odd rakat. Please explain the verdict on this.

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Answer:

Left witr after isha

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ……But if i cannot get up is my isha prayer valid even though i haven't offered the witr at isha nor at tahajud?

Firstly, please allow us to clarify the difference between Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers.

Fard prayers: These are the five obligatory prayers at their appointed times of the day. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there will be a severe accounting and punishment.

Nafl prayers: These are the voluntary or non-obligatory prayers. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin.

Sunnah prayers: These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers which were prayed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they become his (saw’s) Sunnah for us. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin. The most that can be said of one who does not pray the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah.

It is reported that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) said: "The witr prayer is not required like your obligatory prayers, but the Prophet (saws) would perform the witr prayer and say: 'O you people [followers] of the Qur'an, perform the witr prayer, for Allah is One and He loves the witr.'"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.112 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Make Witr as your last prayer at night."

The ‘witr’ prayers are not obligatory, but an extremely preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and he (saws) time and again exhorted the believers to offer the ‘witr’ prayers and make it the absolute last prayer of the night.

As much as the Prophet (saws) exhorted and encouraged the believers to offer the Sunnah ‘witr’ prayer, they are not obligatory; and if for some genuine reason one is unable to offer them, it would not effect the validity of their obligatory ‘isha’ prayer in the least.

Your Question: ….Secondly, What if i have offered the witr prayer at isha and then i also get up at tahajud, will that count. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to finish the night prayer with odd rakat. Please explain the verdict on this.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.112 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Make Witr as your last prayer at night."

If one intends to wake up later at night and offer additional voluntary prayers, it would be best for them to abstain from praying the ‘witr’ prayers after their ‘isha’ prayers….and offer their ‘witr’ after they have completed their late night prayers, thus making the ‘witr’ the absolute last prayer of the night.

But if lets say one did not intend to wake up later at night and offer additional voluntary prayers and thus one offered the ‘witr’ prayers after their ‘isha’ prayers…..and one happens to wake up and makes intention then to offer additional prayers at night, there is absolutely no harm in doing so; but one should not pray the ‘witr’ prayer again….the ‘witr’ prayer one offered after the ‘Isha’ prayers would suffice.

But if one has made an intention to wake up later at night and offer additional prayers after the ‘’isha’ prayers, it would be best for them to abstain from praying the ‘witr’ along with their ‘isha’ prayers, and observe their ‘witr’ prayer only after they have completed all their prayers for the night.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan