FatwaFederal TerritoriesPrayer (Salah)
IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-379: MENGAPA MAZHAB HANAFI MEWAJIBKAN SOLAT WITIR?
Is it true that the Hanafi school holds witr prayer to be obligatory while the majority consider it a confirmed sunnah, and what are their arguments?
Short answer
The Hanafi school distinguishes between fardh and wajib, and Imam Abu Hanifah's final opinion, described as the most sound, is that witr is wajib.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Prayer (Salah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
The Hanafi school distinguishes between fardh and wajib, and Imam Abu Hanifah's final opinion, described as the most sound, is that witr is wajib. Other views within the school are fardh (Zufar) or confirmed sunnah (Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani). The majority of scholars rule witr a confirmed sunnah, neither fardh nor wajib. The hadith describing witr as a duty is explained as emphasis on a recommended act, while the hadith 'he is not from us' is graded weak.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Jumhur ulama menegaskan bahawa solat witir hukumnya adalah sunnah mu'akkadah, iaitu sunat yang sangat dituntut, dan hukumnya bukan fardhu, dan bukan juga wajib.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-379: MENGAPA MAZHAB HANAFI MEWAJIBKAN SOLAT WITIR?”, 23 January 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/4050-irsyad-al-fatwa-siri-ke-379-mengapa-mazhab-hanafi-mewajibkan-solat-witir. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/why-hanafi-school-makes-witr-obligatory/