Malik related to me that Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim heard his father al-Qasim ibn Muhammad say, "I have prayed witr after dawn."

Malik said, "Only a person who oversleeps so that he does not do the witr prays it after dawn. No one should intentionally make his witr after dawn."

Allah's Apostle used to pray two light rak`at before the morning (compulsory) prayer after the day dawned and the Mu'adh-dhin had finished his Adhan. He then would lie on his right side till the Mu'adh-dhin came to pronounce the Iqama.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "Someone who does not stand at Arafa on the night of Muzdalifa

before the dawn breaks has missed the hajj, and some one who stands at Arafa on the night of Muzdalifa before the dawn breaks has caught the hajj.

Malik said, about a slave freed during the wuquf at Arafa, "His standing does not fulfil for him the hajj of Islam, except if he was not in ihram and then he went into ihram after he was freed and he stood at Arafa that same night before the dawn broke in which case that is enough for him. If, however, he did not go into ihram until after the dawn had broken, he is in the same position as someone who misses the hajj by not catching the standing at Arafa before the breaking of the dawn on the night of Muzdalifa, and he will have to do the hajj of Islam later."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Someone who does not stand at Arafa on the night of Muzdalifa before the dawn breaks has missed the hajj, and someone who stands at Arafa on the night of Muzdalifa before the dawn breaks has caught the hajj."

'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), said that between the time when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) finished the 'Isha' prayer which is called 'Atama by the people, he used to pray eleven rak'ahs, uttering the salutation at the end of every two rak'ahs, and observing the Witr with a single one. And when the Mu'adhdhin had finished the call (for the) dawn prayer and he saw the dawn clearly and the Mu'adhdhin had come to him, he stood up and prayed two short rak'ahs. Then he lay down on his right side till the Mu'adhdhin came to him for lqama. (This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by Ibn Shihab, but in it no mention has been made of Iqama )

Some narrators added something more in their version.

Abu Huraira said, "The Prophet said, 'A prayer performed in congregation is twenty-five times more superior in reward to a prayer performed by a single person. The angels of the night and the angels of the day are assembled at the time of the Fajr (Morning) prayer." Abu Huraira added, "If you wish, you can recite:-- 'Verily! The recitation of the Qur'an in the early dawn (Morning prayer) is ever witnessed (attended by the angels of the day and the night).' (17.78)

Abu Huraira said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'The reward of a prayer in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of a prayer offered by a person alone. The angels of the night and the angels of the day gather at the time of Fajr prayer.' " Abu Huraira then added, "Recite the Holy Book if you wish, for "Indeed, the recitation of the Qur'an in the early dawn (Fajr prayer) is ever witnessed." (17:78).

Yasar, the client of Ibn Umar, said: Ibn Umar saw me praying after the break of dawn. He said: O Yasar, the Messenger of Allah (saws) came to us while we were offering this prayer. He (the Prophet) said: Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn except two rak'ahs.

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet (saws) got up to pray at night. He prayed thirteen rak'ahs including two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. I guessed that he stood in every rak'ah as long as one could recite Surah al-Muzzammil (73).

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Umar missed the two rakas of dawn, and then did them after the sun rose.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr said, "I heard my father say, 'We finished praying in Ramadan and the servants hurried with the food, fearing the approach of dawn.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Only some one who makes the intention to fast before dawn (actually) fasts."

I went out with `Abdullah , to Mecca and when we proceeded to am' he offered the two prayers (the Maghrib and the `Isha') together, making the Adhan and Iqama separately for each prayer. He took his supper in between the two prayers. He offered the Fajr prayer as soon as the day dawned. Some people said, "The day had dawned (at the time of the prayer)," and others said, "The day had not dawned." `Abdullah then said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'These two prayers have been shifted from their stated times at this place only (at Al-Muzdalifa); first: The Maghrib and the `Isha'. So the people should not arrive at Al-Muzdalifa till the time of the `Isha' prayer has become due. The second prayer is the morning prayer which is offered at this hour.' " Then `Abdullah stayed there till it became a bit brighter. He then said, "If the chief of the believers hastened onwards to Mina just now, then he had indeed followed the Sunna." I do not know which proceeded the other, his (`Abdullah's) statement or the departure of `Uthman . `Abdullah was reciting Talbiya till he threw pebbles at the Jamrat-Al- `Aqaba on the Day of Nahr (slaughtering) (that is the 10th of Dhul-Hijja).

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Abbas and Ubada ibn as-Samit and al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Rabia had all prayed witr after the break of dawn.

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reported on the authority of a woman from Banu an-Najjar. She said: My house was the loftiest of all the houses around the mosque (of the Prophet at Medina). Bilal used to make a call to the morning prayer from it. He would come there before the break of dawn and wait for it. When he saw it, he would yawn and say: O Allah, I praise you and seek Your assistance for the Quraysh so that they might establish Thine religion. He then would make the call to prayer.

She (the narrator) said: By Allah, I do not know whether he ever left saying these words on any night.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe two rak'ahs of Sunnah (prayer) when he heard the Adhin and shortened them.