{
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "document": {
    "temp_id": "d1",
    "title": "Is Witr Obligatory? The Majority View and Its Evidence",
    "subtitle": "Sample entry — demonstration data",
    "document_type": "article",
    "authors": [],
    "publisher": "Islamic Academy (sample data)",
    "publication_date": "2026",
    "language": "en",
    "summary": "A short sample article presenting the view of the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools that the Witr prayer is an emphasised sunnah rather than an obligation, and that it may be prayed as a single rak'ah. It relies on the hadith of Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah limiting obligatory prayers to five, the statement of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib reported by al-Tirmidhi, and the reports of Ibn 'Umar describing Witr as one rak'ah.",
    "keywords": [
      "witr",
      "night prayer",
      "sunnah mu'akkadah",
      "Shafi'i fiqh"
    ],
    "rights": {
      "status": "permitted",
      "notes": "Written for the repository as demonstration content."
    }
  },
  "content_blocks": [
    {
      "temp_id": "b1",
      "order": 1,
      "block_type": "heading",
      "heading_level": 2,
      "text": "The question"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b2",
      "order": 2,
      "block_type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Jurists agree that Witr is among the most strongly recommended prayers. They differ on whether it is obligatory (wajib) and on whether a single rak'ah suffices. This sample article summarises the majority position."
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b3",
      "order": 3,
      "block_type": "heading",
      "heading_level": 2,
      "text": "Evidence that Witr is not obligatory"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b4",
      "order": 4,
      "block_type": "paragraph",
      "text": "When a man asked the Prophet ﷺ which prayers were required of him, he named the five daily prayers and, asked whether anything else was due, answered that nothing further was required unless offered voluntarily (al-Bukhari, no. 46). 'Ali ibn Abi Talib is reported by al-Tirmidhi (no. 453) as saying that Witr is not compulsory like the prescribed prayers but was established as a sunnah."
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b5",
      "order": 5,
      "block_type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Al-Nawawi reports this as the position of the Shafi'i school and the majority, noting that Abu Hanifa held Witr to be wajib."
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b6",
      "order": 6,
      "block_type": "heading",
      "heading_level": 2,
      "text": "Witr as one rak'ah"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "b7",
      "order": 7,
      "block_type": "paragraph",
      "text": "Ibn 'Umar's reports in both Sahih collections describe the night prayer as pairs of rak'at closed by a single rak'ah, and describe Witr itself as one rak'ah at the end of the night (al-Bukhari, no. 990; Muslim, no. 752)."
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    {
      "temp_id": "t0",
      "title": "Witr prayer",
      "slug_suggestion": "witr-prayer",
      "title_arabic": "صلاة الوتر",
      "aliases": [
        "Witr",
        "Salat al-Witr"
      ],
      "category": "Fiqh > Prayer (Salah)",
      "keywords": [
        "witr",
        "night prayer"
      ],
      "description": "The Witr prayer, the odd-numbered prayer that closes the night prayer: its ruling, number of rak'at, time and manner.",
      "identification": "explicit"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "t1",
      "title": "Ruling on Witr",
      "slug_suggestion": "witr-ruling",
      "proposition": "Witr is obligatory (wajib).",
      "aliases": [
        "Is Witr wajib",
        "Obligation of the Witr prayer"
      ],
      "transliterations": [
        "hukm salat al-witr"
      ],
      "title_arabic": "حكم صلاة الوتر",
      "keywords": [
        "witr",
        "wajib",
        "sunnah mu'akkadah"
      ],
      "description": "Sunni jurists agree that Witr is strongly emphasised. The Hanafi school classes it as wajib (necessary), a category between fard and sunnah, while the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools class it as an emphasised sunnah.",
      "identification": "explicit",
      "position": "opposing",
      "position_explanation": "The article concludes that Witr is an emphasised sunnah and not obligatory, citing the hadith of Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah and the statement of 'Ali reported by al-Tirmidhi.",
      "qualifications": [
        "The article stresses that Witr should not be habitually abandoned."
      ],
      "confidence": "high",
      "parent": "t0"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "t2",
      "title": "Number of rak'at in Witr",
      "slug_suggestion": "witr-rakat",
      "proposition": "Witr may validly be prayed as a single rak'ah.",
      "aliases": [
        "Single-rak'ah Witr",
        "Praying Witr as a single rak'ah"
      ],
      "keywords": [
        "witr",
        "rak'ah",
        "night prayer"
      ],
      "description": "Jurists differ on the minimum number of rak'at for Witr and on whether it may be prayed as one rak'ah on its own.",
      "identification": "inferred",
      "inference_basis": "The final section discusses Ibn 'Umar's reports on the number of rak'at without posing the question explicitly; its conclusion clearly affirms that one rak'ah is valid.",
      "position": "supporting",
      "position_explanation": "The article presents the reports of Ibn 'Umar as establishing that one rak'ah is a valid Witr.",
      "qualifications": [],
      "confidence": "medium",
      "parent": "t0"
    }
  ],
  "people": [
    {
      "temp_id": "p_bukhari",
      "name": "Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari",
      "name_arabic": "محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري",
      "aliases": [
        "al-Bukhari",
        "Imam al-Bukhari"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 256,
      "death_year_ce": 870,
      "person_type": "scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "compiler"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_muslim",
      "name": "Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Naysaburi",
      "aliases": [
        "Imam Muslim"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 261,
      "death_year_ce": 875,
      "person_type": "scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "compiler"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_tirmidhi",
      "name": "Muhammad ibn 'Isa al-Tirmidhi",
      "aliases": [
        "al-Tirmidhi",
        "Imam al-Tirmidhi"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 279,
      "death_year_ce": 892,
      "person_type": "scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "compiler",
        "grader"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_talhah",
      "name": "Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah",
      "aliases": [
        "Talha ibn Ubaydullah"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 36,
      "person_type": "companion",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "narrator"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_ibn_umar",
      "name": "'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar",
      "aliases": [
        "Ibn 'Umar",
        "Abdullah ibn Umar"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 73,
      "person_type": "companion",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "narrator"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_ali",
      "name": "'Ali ibn Abi Talib",
      "name_arabic": "علي بن أبي طالب",
      "aliases": [
        "Ali ibn Abi Talib"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 40,
      "person_type": "companion",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "narrator"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_nawawi",
      "name": "Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi",
      "name_arabic": "يحيى بن شرف النووي",
      "aliases": [
        "al-Nawawi",
        "Imam al-Nawawi"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 676,
      "death_year_ce": 1277,
      "madhhab": "Shafi'i",
      "person_type": "scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "quoted"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_abu_hanifa",
      "name": "Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man ibn Thabit",
      "aliases": [
        "Abu Hanifa",
        "Imam Abu Hanifah"
      ],
      "death_year_ah": 150,
      "death_year_ce": 767,
      "madhhab": "Hanafi",
      "person_type": "scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "position_reported"
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "p_khan",
      "name": "Muhammad Muhsin Khan",
      "citation_name": "Khan, M. M.",
      "person_type": "modern_scholar",
      "roles_in_document": [
        "mentioned"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "works": [
    {
      "temp_id": "w_bukhari",
      "title": "Sahih al-Bukhari",
      "title_arabic": "صحيح البخاري",
      "alt_titles": [
        "al-Jami' al-Sahih"
      ],
      "work_type": "hadith_collection",
      "contributors": [
        {
          "person": "p_bukhari",
          "role": "compiler"
        }
      ],
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "w_muslim",
      "title": "Sahih Muslim",
      "work_type": "hadith_collection",
      "contributors": [
        {
          "person": "p_muslim",
          "role": "compiler"
        }
      ],
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "w_tirmidhi",
      "title": "Jami' al-Tirmidhi",
      "work_type": "hadith_collection",
      "contributors": [
        {
          "person": "p_tirmidhi",
          "role": "compiler"
        }
      ],
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "w_majmu",
      "title": "al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab",
      "title_arabic": "المجموع شرح المهذب",
      "work_type": "fiqh_manual",
      "contributors": [
        {
          "person": "p_nawawi",
          "role": "author"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "w_khan",
      "title": "The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih al-Bukhari",
      "work_type": "book",
      "contributors": [
        {
          "person": "p_bukhari",
          "role": "compiler"
        },
        {
          "person": "p_khan",
          "role": "translator"
        }
      ],
      "publisher": "Darussalam",
      "publication_year": 1997,
      "publication_place": "Riyadh",
      "volumes": "9"
    }
  ],
  "citations": [
    {
      "temp_id": "c1",
      "work": "w_bukhari",
      "original_reference": "al-Bukhari, Sahih, Kitab al-Iman, no. 46",
      "chapter": "Kitab al-Iman",
      "hadith_number": "46",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "block": "b4"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "c2",
      "work": "w_bukhari",
      "original_reference": "al-Bukhari, Sahih, Kitab al-Witr, no. 990",
      "chapter": "Kitab al-Witr",
      "hadith_number": "990",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "block": "b7"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "c3",
      "work": "w_muslim",
      "original_reference": "Muslim, Sahih, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, no. 752",
      "chapter": "Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha",
      "hadith_number": "752",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "block": "b7"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "c4",
      "work": "w_tirmidhi",
      "original_reference": "al-Tirmidhi, Jami', Abwab al-Witr, no. 453",
      "chapter": "Abwab al-Witr",
      "hadith_number": "453",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "block": "b4"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "c5",
      "work": "w_majmu",
      "original_reference": "al-Nawawi, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, vol. 4",
      "volume": "4",
      "block": "b5"
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "c6",
      "work": "w_khan",
      "original_reference": "Khan, M. M. (Trans.). (1997). The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih al-Bukhari. Darussalam."
    }
  ],
  "quotes": [
    {
      "temp_id": "q1",
      "speaker": "p_nawawi",
      "text": "Witr is a sunnah and not obligatory according to the Shafi'i school and the majority of scholars, whereas Abu Hanifa held it to be wajib.",
      "quote_type": "paraphrase",
      "work": "w_majmu",
      "citation": "c5",
      "block": "b5",
      "topics": [
        "t1"
      ],
      "speaker_positions": [
        {
          "topic": "t1",
          "position": "opposing"
        }
      ],
      "usage": [
        {
          "topic": "t1",
          "used_for": "opposing",
          "how_used": "Cited to show that denying the obligation of Witr is the position of the majority."
        }
      ],
      "origin": "source_document",
      "context": {
        "subject": "Al-Nawawi's discussion of the ruling on Witr in al-Majmu', where he sets out the position of the Shafi'i school and the other schools.",
        "relevance": "direct",
        "statement_type": "report_of_others",
        "note": "He reports the school positions, including his own Shafi'i school's; the sample records this as a paraphrase, not his exact wording."
      }
    }
  ],
  "hadiths": [
    {
      "temp_id": "h1",
      "collection": "w_bukhari",
      "hadith_number": "46",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "book_name": "Kitab al-Iman",
      "narrators": [
        {
          "person": "p_talhah",
          "role": "companion"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Allah's Messenger replied, 'You have to offer perfectly the five compulsory prayers in a day and night.' The man asked, 'Is there any more (praying)?' He replied, 'No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can).'",
      "text_is_excerpt": true,
      "topics": [
        "t1"
      ],
      "citation": "c1",
      "how_used": "The obligatory prayers are limited to five; anything further is voluntary."
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "h2",
      "collection": "w_bukhari",
      "hadith_number": "990",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "book_name": "Kitab al-Witr",
      "narrators": [
        {
          "person": "p_ibn_umar",
          "role": "companion"
        }
      ],
      "text": "The night prayer is offered as two rak'at followed by two rak'at and so on, and if anyone fears the approach of dawn, he should pray one rak'ah and this will be a Witr for all the rak'at which he has prayed before.",
      "text_arabic": "صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلى",
      "text_is_excerpt": true,
      "topics": [
        "t2"
      ],
      "citation": "c2",
      "how_used": "A single rak'ah closes the night prayer as Witr."
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "h3",
      "collection": "w_muslim",
      "hadith_number": "752",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "book_name": "Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha",
      "narrators": [
        {
          "person": "p_ibn_umar",
          "role": "companion"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Witr is one rak'ah at the end of the night.",
      "text_arabic": "الوتر ركعة من آخر الليل",
      "text_is_excerpt": true,
      "topics": [
        "t2"
      ],
      "citation": "c3",
      "cross_references": [
        {
          "hadith": "h2"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "h4",
      "collection": "w_tirmidhi",
      "hadith_number": "453",
      "numbering_system": "sunnah.com",
      "book_name": "Abwab al-Witr",
      "narrators": [
        {
          "person": "p_ali",
          "role": "companion"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Witr is not compulsory like your prescribed prayers, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ established it as a sunnah.",
      "text_arabic": "الوتر ليس بحتم كصلاتكم المكتوبة، ولكن سن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم",
      "text_is_excerpt": true,
      "gradings": [
        {
          "grader": "p_tirmidhi",
          "grade": "hasan",
          "note": "Al-Tirmidhi's comment after the report.",
          "citation": "c4"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "t1"
      ],
      "citation": "c4",
      "how_used": "A Companion explicitly denies that Witr is obligatory like the five prayers."
    }
  ],
  "quran_verses": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "temp_id": "cl1",
      "topic": "t1",
      "statement": "The Prophet ﷺ limited the obligatory prayers to five; Witr is therefore not obligatory.",
      "position": "opposing",
      "block": "b4",
      "evidence": [
        {
          "type": "hadith",
          "ref": "h1"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "cl2",
      "topic": "t1",
      "statement": "'Ali ibn Abi Talib stated that Witr is not compulsory like the prescribed prayers.",
      "position": "opposing",
      "block": "b4",
      "evidence": [
        {
          "type": "hadith",
          "ref": "h4"
        },
        {
          "type": "quote",
          "ref": "q1",
          "note": "Al-Nawawi attributes this view to the majority."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "temp_id": "cl3",
      "topic": "t2",
      "statement": "Witr may consist of a single rak'ah.",
      "position": "supporting",
      "block": "b7",
      "evidence": [
        {
          "type": "hadith",
          "ref": "h2"
        },
        {
          "type": "hadith",
          "ref": "h3"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "review_flags": [
    {
      "target": "h1",
      "field": "text",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: English wording follows the Muhsin Khan translation (c6) as an excerpt — verify against the printed edition."
    },
    {
      "target": "c5",
      "field": "page",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Page number of al-Majmu' not stated; the reference is marked incomplete."
    },
    {
      "target": "q1",
      "field": "text",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: al-Nawawi's exact wording in al-Majmu' has not been added; the quotation is a paraphrase."
    },
    {
      "target": "p_nawawi",
      "field": "quote",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: exact quotation of al-Nawawi to be added from al-Majmu' (vol. 4)."
    },
    {
      "target": "p_abu_hanifa",
      "field": "quote",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: Abu Hanifa's position is reported, not quoted; add the wording from a Hanafi primary source."
    },
    {
      "target": "h1",
      "field": "counter_evidence",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: the Hanafi assessment of this evidence (as bearing on the obligation of Witr) has not yet been researched."
    },
    {
      "target": "h4",
      "field": "counter_evidence",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: the Hanafi assessment of this evidence (as bearing on the obligation of Witr) has not yet been researched."
    },
    {
      "target": "q1",
      "field": "counter_evidence",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: the Hanafi assessment of this evidence (as bearing on the obligation of Witr) has not yet been researched."
    },
    {
      "target": "h2",
      "field": "counter_evidence",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: the Hanafi assessment of this report (on a single-rak'ah Witr) has not yet been researched."
    },
    {
      "target": "h3",
      "field": "counter_evidence",
      "severity": "info",
      "message": "Sample data: the Hanafi assessment of this report (on a single-rak'ah Witr) has not yet been researched."
    }
  ],
  "evidence_assessments": [],
  "source_inventory": [
    {
      "mention": "al-Bukhari, no. 46",
      "kind": "hadith",
      "recorded_as": [
        "h1",
        "c1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "'Ali ibn Abi Talib is reported by al-Tirmidhi (no. 453)",
      "kind": "hadith",
      "recorded_as": [
        "h4",
        "c4",
        "p_ali"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "Al-Nawawi",
      "kind": "scholar",
      "recorded_as": [
        "p_nawawi",
        "q1",
        "c5"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "the Shafi'i school and the majority",
      "kind": "consensus_claim",
      "recorded_as": [
        "q1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "Abu Hanifa held Witr to be wajib",
      "kind": "scholar",
      "recorded_as": [
        "p_abu_hanifa"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "Ibn 'Umar's reports in both Sahih collections",
      "kind": "hadith",
      "recorded_as": [
        "h2",
        "h3",
        "p_ibn_umar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "al-Bukhari, no. 990",
      "kind": "hadith",
      "recorded_as": [
        "h2",
        "c2"
      ]
    },
    {
      "mention": "Muslim, no. 752",
      "kind": "hadith",
      "recorded_as": [
        "h3",
        "c3"
      ]
    }
  ]
}