حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ ضَمْرَةَ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ أَوْتَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ وَآخِرِهِ وَأَوْسَطِهِ فَانْتَهَى وِتْرُهُ إِلَى السَّحَرِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 653
It was narrated that 'Ali (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prayed Witr at the beginning of the night and at the end and in the middle. And in the end he settled on praying Witr just before dawn.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020