Mishkat al-Masabih #1196
Prayer
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ خَافَ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ صَلَاةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَشْهُودَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe a witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it he should observe a witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is attended by the angels, and that is most excellent.”
Muslim transmitted it.
Topics
About Mishkat al-Masabih
This hadith is #1196 from Mishkat al-Masabih, in the Book of Prayer.