Witr Procedure
How to reconcile absolutely conflicting ahadith : one of which clearly states pray witr like maghrib and one says do not pray witr like maghrib? As far as interpretation goes, one can reconcile them by establishing that the hadith from Muwatta (Hadith No.261) stating that “Witr is three rakaah like maghrib” actually means the number of rakaah rather than two tashahud and numerous ahadith found in Muslim actually talk about the procedure of praying i.e. not to make witr resemble like maghrib i.e. two qa’dhas. Could it be so that Hanafis have taken the injunction of rakaah to be that of procedure? Instead of imitating maghrib in terms of number of rakaah, they imitated the style, which can be found to have been shunned separately, in contradistinction of popular praxis.