Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ وِتْرِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ رُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ وَرُبَّمَا أَوْتَرَ مِنْ آخِرِهِ . قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ قِرَاءَتُهُ أَكَانَ يُسِرُّ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ أَمْ يَجْهَرُ قَالَتْ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ رُبَّمَا أَسَرَّ وَرُبَّمَا جَهَرَ وَرُبَّمَا اغْتَسَلَ فَنَامَ وَرُبَّمَا تَوَضَّأَ فَنَامَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ قُتَيْبَةَ تَعْنِي فِي الْجَنَابَةِ .
I asked 'Aishah about the witr observes by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She replied: Sometime he observed the witr prayer in the early hours of the night, sometimes he observed it at the end of it. I asked: How did he recite the Qur'an ? Did he recite the Qur'an quietly or loudly ? She replied: He did it in any way. Sometimes he recited quietly and sometimes loudly, sometimes he took bath and then slept and sometimes he performed ablution and then slept. Abu Dawud said: The narrators other than Qutaibah said: This refer to his bath due to sexual defilement.