Question

What is the meaning of this narration? Is it marfu’?

من أصبح على غير وتر أصبح على رأسه جرير قدر سبعين ذراعا

 

Answer

This narration is recorded in Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has referenced the narration to Sa’id ibn Mansur and has declared the chain authentic (jayyid).

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) said: “Whoever wakes up without having performed Witr Salah [the night before] will find a rope, seventy cubits in length, placed on his head.”

(Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq: 4608, Fathul Bari, vol. 3, pg. 25, Hadith: 1142)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has cited this narration under the commentary of the Hadith in Sahih Bukhari which mentions that Shaytan ties three knots when a person falls asleep. These knots are undone when a person offers Salah. See here.
The narrations in question refers to a person who misses the witr Salah completely as understood from the chapter in which it appears in Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq. Such a person wakes up with the knots still tied.

Note: The nature of this narration is not such that Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) could have made applying logic. It would therefore be understood that he heard this from Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

__________

التخريج من المصادر العربية

مصنف عبد الرزاق الصنعاني: (٣/ ١٢)
باب فوت الوتر…
(٤٦٠٨) – عبد الرزاق عن الثوري، عن آدم بن علي قال: سمعت ابن عمر يقول: من أصبح على غير وتر أصبح على رأسه جرير قدر سبعين ذراعا.

فتح الباري لابن حجر: (٣/ ٢٥)
وعند سعيد بن منصور بسند جيد عن ابن عمر: ما أصبح رجل على غير وتر إلا أصبح على رأسه جرير قدر سبعين ذراعا.