It is related that when Muʿādh ibn Jabal came to al-Shām and saw that the people there did not pray witr, he said to Muʿāwiyah: “Why is it that I see the people of al-Shām not praying witr?” Muʿāwiyah replied: “Is that something obligatory upon them?” He said: “Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— say: ‘My Lord —Mighty and Majestic— has increased me with a prayer, and it is the witr. Its time is between ʿIshāʾ and the rising of Fajr.’”

Narrated by Aḥmad (no. 22095), from the ḥadīth of Muʿādh ibn Jabal —may Allah be pleased with him.
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ (no. 3566) and Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 108).

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

The Witr prayer is among the most virtuous of the night supererogatory prayers and the greatest of them in reward. The Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— used to observe it consistently in both travel and residence, and he urged his Companions to be steadfast in performing it. Muʿādh ibn Jabal —may Allah be pleased with him— reported from the Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— that he said: “My Lord —Mighty and Majestic— has increased me with a prayer, and it is the Witr...” And the meaning is that Allah —Exalted is He— singled out His Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— with this prayer as an honor and elevation in rank. Then it was legislated for his Ummah after him, so it became an added virtue for this nation on top of the virtue of the obligatory prayers.
And it was named the Witr prayer because its rakʿahs are odd in number, not even; so it may be prayed as one rakʿah, or three, or five…
Then the Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— clarified that its time extends from the ʿIshāʾ prayer until Fajr, whether ʿIshāʾ is prayed in its proper time or combined with Maghrib in advance. Its time ends with the rising of the true dawn, which is the time when the Fajr prayer begins.
In the ḥadīth: the recommendation of the Witr prayer, and that it is an emphasized Sunnah which a believer ought not to abandon, with its minimum being one rakʿah. And in it: a clarification of its time, and that it is among the additional acts of worship which Allah —Exalted is He— granted to His Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— and to his Ummah.

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Related Hadiths

He (the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray eleven rak'ahs (units of prayer) between finishing the 'Ishā' prayer and Fajr (dawn).

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