Bulugh al-Maram 2 The Book of Prayer كتاب الصلاة 271

وَعَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ – رضى الله عنه – قَالَ : { لَيْسَ اَلْوِتْرُ بِحَتْمٍ كَهَيْئَةِ اَلْمَكْتُوبَةِ , وَلَكِنْ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم -} رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ وَالْحَاكِمُ وَصَحَّحَهُ . 1 1 – رواه النسائي ( 3 / 229 ) ، والترمذي ( 453 و 454 ) ، والحاكم ( 1 / 300 ) . وقال الترمذي : حديث حسن .

Narrated ‘Ali bin Abu Talib (RA): The Witr prayer is not obligatory as the prescribed prayer is [i.e. the five daily prayers], but it is a Sunnah which was established by the practice of Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). [at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i reported it, who graded it Hasan (good). al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].