مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 678

It was narrated that 'Ali (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to pray Witr reciting nine soornhs from nl-Mufassal . Aswad said: In the first rak'ah he would recite "The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you" [at-Takathur 102] and "Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree)" [al-Qadr 97] and "When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake" [az-Zalzalah 99], In the second rak'ah he would recite "By Al-'Asr (the time)" [al-'Asr 103] and "When there comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad (PBUH) against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah)" [an-Nasr 95] and "Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (PBUH)) Al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise)" [al-Kawthar 108]. In the third rak'ah he would recite "Say (O Muhammad (PBUH) to these Mushrikoon and Kafiroon): "O Al-Kafiroon (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar)[" [al-Kafiroon 109] and "Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab (an unde of the Prophet) and perish he!" [al-Masad 109] and "Say (O Muhammad (PBUH)): "He is Allah, (the) One" [al-Ikhlas 112].

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020