Fasting, The Dhuha Prayer And The Witir Prayer

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِثَلَاثٍ بِصِيَامِ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَكْعَتَيْ الضُّحَى وَأَنْ أُوتِرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَرْقُدَ

Abu Hurairah reported, “My dear companion the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed me with three things: to fast three days in every month, to offer two rak’ahs of forenoon prayer, and to offer the witir prayer before bedtime.”

Narrated in Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 721

Grade: sahih (authentic)

Reflections:

1. Rasulullah (ﷺ) wished that his followers perform the following:

a) observing three days of fasting per month

b) praying two rak’ahs in the forenoon (commonly known as the dhuha prayer)

c) praying the witir prayer before retiring to bed; witir translates to ‘odd’, as in an odd number of raka’ahs 

2. One who fasts three days in a month will receive the reward of fasting every day in that month, as the reward will be multiplied by 10. Rasulullah (ﷺ) said

مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ صَوْمُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ صَوْمُ الشَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ

“Whoever fasts three days in a month, fasts the whole of the month.”

Narrated by Imam Muslim

Grade: sahih (authentic)

3. Rasulullah (ﷺ) also said

أَيُّكُمْ خَافَ أَنْ لاَ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ ثُمَّ لْيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ وَثِقَ بِقِيَامٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِهِ فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ

“Whoever amongst you doubts that he will wake up during the latter part of the night (to make prayer), should offer the witir prayer before retiring to bed. And whoever is sure of waking up, should pray later as recitations during the latter part of the night are witnessed (by the angels) – this is preferred.” 

 

Narrated by Imam Muslim

Grade: sahih (authentic)

May we discipline ourselves in following what the Prophet (ﷺ) enjoined in the above hadiths as they are sunnah mu’akkadah (strongly encouraged).