Al-Witr (the One, the Single)

Source:

• An-Nahj Al-Asmaa fee Sharh Asmaa-Allaah Al-Husna
• Fat-h Dhil Jalaali Wal-Ikraam fi-Sharh Bulugh al-Maraam by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen

Al-Witr or Al-Watr share the same meaning which is the One, the Odd, the Single.

Al-Lahiyani said: “The people of Hijaaz call the One, Watr, and the people of Najd say, Witr. And Allaah’s statement in Surat al-Fajr (89: 3): 

وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ

“By the even and the odd”

 is recited in both ways with Fat-ha (Wal-Watr) and with Kasrah (Wal-Witr).

It is said that the man offered the Witr which is one Rak’ah after praying two by two Rak’ahs of prayer at night.” [Al-Lisaan, As-Sihaah and Al-Mufradaat]

The Name Al-Witr is mentioned in the following Hadeeth: Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah has ninety-nine Names, i.e. one hundred minus one, which whoever Ahsaahaa (i.e. believes in their meanings and acts accordingly), will enter Paradise; and Allaah is Witr (One) and loves the Witr.“ [Agreed Upon]

The meaning of the Name:

Ibn Qutaibah said: “Allaah is Witr and He is One.” [Ghareeb al-Hadeeth]

Al-Khattabi said: “Al-Witr is the single One, Who has no partner or associate with Him and has no peer.” [Sha’r ad-Du’aa]

Al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab (Rahimahullaah) said:  “Al-Witr, with regards to Allaah, means the One Who has no peer like Him in His Essence or any division.” [Al-Fat-h]

The impact of believing in this Name:

1. Indeed Allaah is One, Who has no partner with Him nor peer. He is the only “Ilaah” deity, As-Samad (the Self-Sufficient Master, the Eternal Refuge, i.e. the One sought in times of difficulty and need, the One depended upon by all existence). He neither begets nor is born, nor is there any equivalent to Him.

He, Glory to Him, is One in His Essence, Attributes and Actions. He says in Surat ash-Shura (42: 11):

لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَىۡءٌ

“There is nothing like unto Him.”

He also says in Surat Maryam (19: 65):

هَلۡ تَعۡلَمُ لَهُ ۥ سَمِيًّ۬ا

“Do you know of any who is similar (or co-equal or comparable) to Him?”

2. Allaah loves the Witr (the odd) and He orders with it in many acts of worship and deeds, like the five obligatory prayers, the Witr prayer at night, the number of times of performing the Tahaarah (Wudu’ and purification), the number of shrouds of the dead, etc. He created many of His creations in an odd number, such as the seven heavens and earths. [Al-Fat-h on the authority of Qadi ‘Eyaadh]

‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “O people of the Qur’an, offer the Witr, verily, Allaah is Witr and loves the Witr.” [Reported by Abu Dawoud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Maajah]

Al-Qurtubi said, explaining the meaning of the Prophet’s statement “Allaah is Witr and He loves Witr,” that Allaah loves every Witr (odd) that He has prescribed and legislated. The meaning of His love for it is that He has ordered us with it and will reward for it and this applies to all what Allaah has created in Witr (odd) of His creation. Or the meaning of His love for it is that He has particularized it with that (of being odd) for a wisdom that He knows best. It may mean every Witr, even if it is not mentioned, and this is a matter of dispute. It is said that the Witr in this Hadeeth means the following: 

• 1- The Witr prayer
• 2- Friday
• 3- The day of ‘Arafah
• 4- Adam
•  and others.

He said: “Most probably its meaning is general.”

Al-Qurtubi also said: “It seems to me that another aspect for the Witr is that it means the Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism). Accordingly, the meaning will be that Allaah is One in His Essence, Perfection and Actions, and He loves the Tawheed.

i.e. Allaah should be singled out in worship from His creation. Accordingly, the beginning of the Hadeeth and its end will be joined, and Allaah knows best.” [Al-Fat-h]

Al Haafidh Ibn Hajar commented saying: ” Probably those who interpreted the Witr in the Hadeeth (“Allaah loves the Witr”) with the Witr prayer did so in reference to the aforementioned Hadeeth of ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) who said: “Verily, Witr is not a must nor it is like your obligatory prayer, but the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) offered the Witr and said: “Offer the Witr O people of the Qur’an! Indeed Allaah is Witr and loves the Witr.“ [Reported by Abu Dawoud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Maajah] [Al-Fat-h]

3. There are many Athaar (narrations) quoted by the Salaf regarding the explanation of this word. Mujahid said concerning Allaah’s Statement in Surat al-Fajr (89:3):

وَٱلشَّفۡعِ وَٱلۡوَتۡرِ

“And by the even and the odd.”

“All of Allaah’s creation is even (in pairs): the heaven and the earth, the land and the sea, the Jinn and Mankind, the sun and the moon. And Allaah Alone is Witr.”

In another report he said: “All the creation are in even and odd, and Allaah has sworn by the creation.” [Tafseer Ibn Jarir]

Al-Hasan (Rahimahullaah) said: “All the creation are Shaf’ (even), ‘by the even and by the odd.’” He added: “My father used to say: ‘Everything Allaah has created is in even and odd (Shaf’ and Watr), therefore, Allaah swore by what He has created, and swore with what you see and what you do not see.’” [Ibn Jarir]

Ibn Jarir said: “Others said that Shaf’ and Watr refers to the obligatory prayers. Some of them are Shaf’ (even) like the Fajr (morning) and Dhuhur (noon) prayer, and some of them are odd like the Maghrib (evening) prayer.”

Other Athaar (quotations of the Salaf) that confirm that are:

Qatadah said regarding the Shaf’ and Watr, that they are of the Salaat (prayer), some of which are Shaf’ (even) and some are Watr. [Ibn Jarir]

Ibn Jarir said: “The most correct opinion regarding this matter is to say that Allaah swore with Shaf’ and Watr and He did not specify the kind of Shaf’ and Watr. Accordingly, the interpreters said that every Shaf’ and Watr is included in this oath for the comprehensive and generality of His oath by that.” [Ibn Jarir]

Commentary of Shaikh ibn ‘Uthaimeen on the Hadeeth: “O people of the Qur’an! Offer the Witr. Verily, Allaah is Witr and loves the Witr.”

In this Hadeeth the people of the Qur’an are addressed particularly because the people of the Qur’an are the ones who establish their nights with reciting the Book of Allaah. Allaah says in Surat az-Zumar (39: 9):

أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدً۬ا وَقَآٮِٕمً۬ا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأَخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِ

“Is the one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing (in prayer), fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord (like the one who does not)?”

Allaah also says in Surat Faatir (35: 29):

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتۡلُونَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ سِرًّ۬ا وَعَلَانِيَةً۬ يَرۡجُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً۬ لَّن تَبُورَ

“Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allaah and establish the prayer and spend (in His Cause) out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, (can) expect a transaction (i.e. profit) that will never perish.”

The most correct meaning for the people of the Qur’an is that they are those who recite the Qur’an perseveringly, because they are usually those who establish the night with prayer.

The Prophet’s (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) statement: “Offer the prayer”, means offer the Witr prayer. This is what the context of the Hadeeth indicates. It does not mean you eat in odd (Witr) number or practice Witr in any other matter.

“Allaah is Witr”, i.e. He is One in His Essence, Actions, Names and Attributes. He is One in His Divinity. He is One in every type of Tawheed. He is One, there is no partner or associate with Him in His worship or in His Lordship, or in His Names and Attributes.

The love mentioned in the Prophet’s (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) statement, “He loves the Witr,” does not refer to His Will, because many people who misinterpret the Attributes of Allaah, such as Al-Ashaa’irah, interpret the love as His Will. They say: “Allaah loves means Allaah wants or wills to reward.” And they deny that Allaah loves, but they believe that Allaah is loved (by His servants). The Creed (Madh-hab) of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is that Allaah loves and He is loved and His Love is different from His Will. However, His Love is real and suits His Majesty and is not like the love of His creation.

“Loves the Witr” means, loves the Witr prayer, and it does not mean that He loves everything that man does in Witr (odd) number. Rather, it means that Allaah loves the Witr, legislates whatever He wills in Witr (odd), and creates whatever He wills in an odd number. The heavens are seven, the earths are seven, the prayers are five and one ends his night prayer with Witr (odd). This doesn’t mean that man intentionally does everything in odd numbers (Witr), and if he walks, he walks in an odd number of steps, and if he wants to wear his clothes, he wears in Witr and so forth.

It must be kept in mind that these matters are acts of worship which must be based on proofs from the Shar’ (Book and Sunnah) for their legitimacy, such as, Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) never proceeded (for the Salaat) on the day of ‘Eid-ul-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates. Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) also narrated: “The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to eat an odd number of dates.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari, the Book of the two ‘Eid (festivals)]

If the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to eat everything in Witr (odd), there was no need for Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) to mention in this narration that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to eat an odd number of dates because, if this was his habit, then it would be affirmed in the number of dates on the day of ‘Eid and at other times.

In conclusion: Allaah is Witr and loves the Witr, but the Witr depends on what has been approved by the Shar’ (the Islamic law).