حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ نَادَى رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَأْمُرُنَا نُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ يُصَلِّي أَحَدُكُمْ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيَ الصُّبْحَ يُصَلِّي وَاحِدَةً فَأَوْتَرَتْ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 5085
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: A man called out to the Messenger of Allah: O Messenger of Allah, how do you instruct us to pray at night? He said: "Let one of you pray two (rak’ahs) by two rak'ahs, then if he is afraid that dawn is approaching, let him pray one (rak'ah, as Witr) and make what he has prayed odd-numbered.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020