regardless of the direction (39) he faces, and he performs Witr upon it, except that he does not perform the obligatory prayer upon it. Recorded by Muslim and others (40). Their hadiths have been discussed [by scholars]. Furthermore, the intent of those [hadiths] is to emphasize [the Witr's] significance and virtue, and that it is a confirmed Sunnah, and that is true. It is permissible for the addition of prayer to be a Sunnah, and the threat of punishment for leaving it is for the sake of emphasizing it, such as his saying: "Whoever eats of these two trees, let him not approach our mosque" (42).
Section: It is a confirmed Sunnah. Ahmad said: Whoever leaves Witr intentionally is a person of ill-repute, and it is not appropriate that his testimony be accepted. He intended by this [to show] extreme emphasis upon it, due to what has been reported regarding it of
Book of Witr, Sunan al-Darimi 1/373; Imam Malik in: "Chapter: The Command to Perform Witr," from the Book of Night Prayer, al-Muwatta 1/124; and Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 2/7, 57. (39) In [Manuscripts] A and M: "wajh" (face/direction). (40) Recorded by al-Bukhari in: "Chapter: Witr on a Mount" and "Chapter: Witr while Traveling," from the Book of Witr, and in: "Chapter: Getting down for the Obligatory Prayer" and "Chapter: Whoever performs voluntary prayer while traveling," from the Book of Shortening Prayer, Sahih al-Bukhari 2/32, 56, 57; Muslim in: "Chapter: The Permissibility of Performing Voluntary Prayer on a Mount," from the Book of the Traveler's Prayer, Sahih Muslim 1/486; Abu Dawud in: "Chapter: Voluntary Prayer on a Mount and Witr," from the Book of Travel, Sunan Abi Dawud 1/279; al-Tirmidhi in: "Chapter: What has been narrated regarding prayer on a mount," from the Chapters on Prayer, and in: "Chapter: Interpretation of Surat al-Baqarah," from the Chapters on Tafsir, 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/147, 11/80; al-Nasa'i in: "Chapter: The Condition in which it is permissible to face other than the Qiblah," from the Book of Prayer, and in the same chapter from the Book of Qiblah, al-Mujtaba 1/196, 2/48; Imam Malik in: "Chapter: Voluntary Prayer while Traveling," from the Book of Travel, al-Muwatta 1/151; and Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 2/4, 7, 13, 20, 38, 41, 44, 56, 66, 72, 75, 81, 132, 142. (41) Omitted from [Manuscripts] A and M. (42) Recorded by al-Bukhari in: "Chapter: What has been narrated regarding garlic," from the Book of Adhan, and in: "Chapter: Rulings known through proofs," from the Book of Adherence to the Sunnah, Sahih al-Bukhari 1/216, 217, 9/135; Muslim in: "Chapter: The prohibition of one who eats garlic or onions or the like from attending the mosque," from the Book of Mosques, Sahih Muslim 1/393-395; Abu Dawud in: "Chapter: Eating Garlic," from the Book of Foods, Sunan Abi Dawud 2/324, 325; al-Nasa'i in: "Chapter: Whoever is prevented from the mosque," from the Book of Mosques, al-Mujtaba 2/34; Ibn Majah in: "Chapter: Whoever eats garlic," from the Book of Establishing Prayer, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/324, 325; and Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 3/12, 4/19, 252, 5/26. (43) In the original: "fi man" (in whoever).
