Hadith 652
حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ ضَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ الْوَتْرُ لَيْسَ بِحَتْمٍ مِثْلَ الصَّلَاةِ وَلَكِنَّهُ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
It was narrated that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said:
Witr is not an essential like regular prayer, but it is a Sunnah that was established by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Reference : Musnad Ahmad 652
In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 88