Sahih al-Bukhari 993
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 14: Witr Prayer · What is said regarding the Witr prayer
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الْقَاسِمِ ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَنْصَرِفَ فَارْكَعْ رَكْعَةً تُوتِرُ لَكَ مَا صَلَّيْتَ " . قَالَ الْقَاسِمُ وَرَأَيْنَا أُنَاسًا مُنْذُ أَدْرَكْنَا يُوتِرُونَ بِثَلاَثٍ، وَإِنَّ كُلاًّ لَوَاسِعٌ أَرْجُو أَنْ لاَ يَكُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِنْهُ بَأْسٌ .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Night prayer is offered as two rak`at followed by two rak`at and so on, and if you want to finish it, pray only one rak`a which will be witr for all the previous rak`at." Al-Qasim said, "Since we attained the age of puberty we have seen some people offering a three-rak`at prayer as witr and all that is permissible. I hope there will be no harm in it."