"My father, Talq bin 'Ali visited me one day in Ramadan and stayed with us until the evening. He led us in praying Qiyam that night and prayed witr with us. Then he went down to a masjid and led his companions in prayer until only witr was left. Then he told a man to go forward and said to him: 'Lead them in praying witr, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There should not be two witrs in one night."
"I asked 'Aishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: 'He used to sleep during the first part of the night, then get up during the time before dawn and pray witr. Then he would go to his bed and if he needed to be intimate he would go to his wife. Then when he heard the Adhan he would get up, and if he was junub he would pour water over himself, otherwise he would perform wudu, then he would go out to the prayer.'"
Chapter 30: The time for witr - كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار
It was narrated that Aishah said:
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ وَثَّابٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ أَوْتَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ وَأَوْسَطِهِ وَانْتَهَى وَتْرُهُ إِلَى السَّحَرِ .
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed witr at the beginning (of the night) and at the end, and in the middle. And toward the end of his life, he settled on performing witr at the end of the night."
He was in the masjid of 'Amr bin Shurahbil and the iqamah for prayer was said, and they were waiting. He came and said: "I was praying witr." Abdullah was asked: "Is there any witr after the adhan?" He said: "Yes, and after the Iqamah." And he narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) once slept and missed the prayer until the sun had risen, then he prayed.
A man from among the people of the desert asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about prayer at night. He said:"(It is) two by two, and Witr is one rak'ah at the end of the night."
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Prayer at night is two by two, then when you want to finish, pray one rak'h which will make the total number that you prayed odd."
Chapter 35: How to pray witr with one (rak'ah) - كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار
It was narrated from Abdullah bin 'Umar that:
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمُ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى " .
A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about prayer at night and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Prayer at night is two by two, then if one of you fears that dawn will break, pray one rak'ah to make the total number that he prayed odd."
He heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "Prayer at night is two rak'ahs by two rak'ahs, then when you fear tat dawn will break, pray witr with one rak'ah."
He asked Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, about how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray in Ramadan. She said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not pray more than eleven rak'ahs during Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray three." Aishah said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you pray witr?' He said: 'O Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.'"
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with three rak'ahs. In the first he would recite: "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High" in the second: "Say: O you disbelievers!", and in the third: "Say: He is Allah, (the) One". And he would say the Qunut before bowing, and when he finished he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, elongating the words the last time.
"In the first rak'ah of witr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite: "GLorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" in the second; "Say: O you disbelievers!" and in the third; "Say: He is Allah, (the) One."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite: "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High;" in witr, in the second rak'ah he would recite: "Say: O you disbelievers!"; and in the third "Say: He is Allah, (the) One". And he only said the taslim at the end, and he would say- meaning after the taslim: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy)' three times."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with three rak'ahs. In the first he would recite "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High;" in the second: "Say: O You disbelievers!" and in the third: "Say: He is Allah, (the) One.'"
Ibn Abbas used to pray witr with three (units) with (the Surahs): "Glorify the Name of Your Lord, the Most High" (Surah Al-A'la), "Say: O You disbelievers" (Surah Al-Kafirun), and "Say: He is Allah, (the) One" (Surah Al-Ikhlas).