Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 780

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

Commentary on Riyadh as-Salihin, drawn from the words of the Master of the Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

أَمَّا حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا الْأَوَّلُ وَالثَّانِي، فَفِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ صَلَاةَ اللَّيْلِ تَكُونُ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، قَالَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: فَإِنْ قَامَ إِلَى الثَّالِثَةِ نَاسِيًا فَهُوَ كَمَا لَوْ قَامَ إِلَى ثَالِثَةٍ فِي الْفَجْرِ، يَعْنِي: فَيَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ بَطَلَتْ صَلَاتُهُ، يَعْنِي لَوْ كُنْتَ تُصَلِّي فِي اللَّيْلِ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، فَقُمْتَ إِلَى الثَّالِثَةِ نَاسِيًا، وَجَبَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ حَتَّى لَوْ بَدَأْتَ فِي قِرَاءَةِ الْفَاتِحَةِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ بَطَلَتْ صَلَاتُكَ؛ لِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: «صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى» يَعْنِي عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ اسْتَثْنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوِتْرَ، إِذَا أَوْتَرَ بِثَلَاثٍ، أَوْ خَمْسٍ، أَوْ سَبْعٍ، أَوْ تِسْعٍ، فَإِذَا أَوْتَرَ بِثَلَاثٍ فَإِنْ شَاءَ سَلَّمَ مِنَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَأَتَى بِالثَّالِثَةِ وَحْدَهَا، وَإِنْ شَاءَ جَمَعَ الثَّلَاثَةَ جَمِيعًا بِسَلَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَإِنْ أَوْتَرَ بِخَمْسٍ سَرَدَهَا كُلَّهَا بِسَلَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَتَشَهُّدٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَإِنْ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ فَكَذَلِكَ يَسْرُدُهَا كُلَّهَا بِسَلَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَإِنْ أَوْتَرَ بِتِسْعٍ كَذَلِكَ يَسْرُدُهَا بِسَلَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ يَجْلِسُ وَيَتَشَهَّدُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ، ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِالتَّاسِعَةِ وَيُسَلِّمُ، وَإِنْ أَوْتَرَ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ، سَلَّمَ مِنْ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، كَمَا فَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ.

The first and second hadiths of Ibn Umar demonstrate that night prayer is performed in units of two. Imam Ahmad noted that if one mistakenly stands for a third rak'ah, it is as if they had stood for a third rak'ah during the dawn prayer; they must return to the sitting position, or their prayer is void. If you are praying at night in pairs of rak'ahs and stand for a third by mistake, you are obligated to return, even if you have already begun reciting Al-Fatihah. Failing to do so invalidates the prayer, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated: 'Night prayer is two by two.' He made an exception for Witr. If one performs Witr with three rak'ahs, they may either conclude with a taslim after the first two and pray the third alone, or combine all three with a single taslim. If performing Witr with five, seven, or nine rak'ahs, one may pray them consecutively with one taslim and one tashahhud. In the case of nine, one sits for the tashahhud at the eighth rak'ah without concluding, then rises for the ninth and concludes. If performing eleven, one concludes every two rak'ahs, following the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا الْأَوَّلِ وَالثَّانِي دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ لَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ، إِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ انْتَهَى وَقْتُ الْوِتْرِ، فَإِنْ غَلَبَهُ النَّوْمُ وَلَمْ يُوتِرْ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ، وَلَكِنْ يُصَلِّي شَفْعًا، فَإِذَا كَانَ مِنْ عَادَتِهِ أَنْ يُوتِرَ بِثَلَاثٍ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ عَادَتِهِ أَنْ يُوتِرَ بِخَمْسٍ صَلَّى سِتًّا... وَهَلُمَّ جَرًّا.

These hadiths also indicate that Witr cannot be performed after dawn breaks, as that marks the end of its time. If someone sleeps through the night and misses Witr, they should pray during the day in even-numbered units. If they usually pray three for Witr, they should pray four; if they usually pray five, they should pray six, and so on.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 41 nouns)

• شَرَحَ — to explain
• صَلَّى — to pray
• كَانَ — to be
• شَرْحٌ — explanation
• رِيَاضٌ — gardens
• صَالِحٌ — righteous person