حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي غَنِيَّةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْکُمْ أَنْ لَا يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لِيَرْقُدْ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْکُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ قِرَائَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ وَذَلِکَ أَفْضَلُ
ابن ماجہ · Hadith 1187
It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah SAW said: "Whoever among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to sleep. Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur'an) at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better." (Sahih).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020