Hadith 275

Bulugh al-Maram

Book 2: The Book of Prayer
وَعَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- قَالَ : { لَيْسَ اَلْوِتْرُ بِحَتْمٍ كَهَيْئَةِ اَلْمَكْتُوبَةِ , وَلَكِنْ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-} رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيُّ وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ وَالْحَاكِمُ وَصَحَّحَهُ .‏ 1‏
'Ali bin Abu Talib (RA):

The Witr prayer is not obligatory as the prescribed prayer is [i.e. the five daily prayers], but it is a Sunnah which was established by the practice of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). [at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i reported it, who graded it Hasan (good). al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].