The article argues that Witr is wajib, following Abu Hanifa.
Conditions: 'Wajib' is used in the Hanafi technical sense — binding but below fard; denying it is not disbelief.; Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani held it to be a sunnah.
Ruling on Witr
حكم صلاة الوترSunni 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.
Sources are sorted by whether they agree with this statement:
Witr is obligatory (wajib).
Sources that agree with the statement above.
Evidence these sources use, and the objections to it
Evidence, and who relies on itHow scholars assess it for this question
Sunan Abi Dawud 1419
Witr is a duty (haqq); whoever does not observe Witr is not of us.
Supporting Witr as Wajib: The Hanafi Position: The word 'duty' (haqq) is read as indicating obligation.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1422
Witr is a duty (haqq) upon every Muslim; whoever wishes to pray five, let him do so; whoever wishes to pray three, let him do so; and whoever wishes to pray one, let him do so.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Scholars these sources quote
الوتر واجب عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله، وقالا: سنةWitr is obligatory (wajib) according to Abu Hanifa, while the two [Abu Yusuf and Muhammad] said: it is a sunnah.
Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi
The scholar's own view on this: Supporting
Quoted in Witr as Wajib: The Hanafi Position: Establishes Abu Hanifa's position as the school's authoritative view.
Sources that disagree with the statement above.
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.
Conditions: The article stresses that Witr should not be habitually abandoned.
Evidence these sources use, and the objections to it
Evidence, and who relies on itHow scholars assess it for this question
Jami' al-Tirmidhi 453
Witr is not compulsory like your prescribed prayers, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ established it as a sunnah.
Opposing Is Witr Obligatory? The Majority View and Its Evidence: A Companion explicitly denies that Witr is obligatory like the five prayers.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Sahih al-Bukhari 46
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).'
Opposing Is Witr Obligatory? The Majority View and Its Evidence: The obligatory prayers are limited to five; anything further is voluntary.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Scholars these sources quote
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.
Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab paraphrase
The scholar's own view on this: Opposing
Quoted in Is Witr Obligatory? The Majority View and Its Evidence: Cited to show that denying the obligation of Witr is the position of the majority.
Sources that explain or compare the views without taking a side.
The entry describes each school's classification and its evidence without adopting one.
Evidence these sources use, and the objections to it
Evidence, and who relies on itHow scholars assess it for this question
Jami' al-Tirmidhi 453
Witr is not compulsory like your prescribed prayers, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ established it as a sunnah.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Qur'an 17:79 (Al-Isra)
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا ﴿٧٩﴾
And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.
Neutral Witr in the Four Sunni Schools: An Overview: Background: night prayer is described as nafilah (additional) for the Prophet ﷺ.
No scholar's assessment of this evidence has been recorded yet.
Scholars these sources quote
الوتر واجب عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله، وقالا: سنةWitr is obligatory (wajib) according to Abu Hanifa, while the two [Abu Yusuf and Muhammad] said: it is a sunnah.
Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi
The scholar's own view on this: Supporting
Quoted in Witr in the Four Sunni Schools: An Overview: Quoted only to document the Hanafi position; the overview does not endorse it.