from:
Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (1993)
by Shaykh al-Albaani
1) The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) said, Make the
last of your prayer at night odd (witr).
Related by Bukhaari & Muslim.
2) Abu Salamah asked `A'ishah about the
prayer of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam). She said, "He
performed thirteen rak`ahs (in the
night prayer): he observed eight rak`ahs
and would then observe Witr and then
observe two rak`ahs sitting, and
when he wanted to bow, he stood up and
then bowed down, and then observed two
rak`ahs in between the adhaan and iqaamah
of the Dawn Prayer."
Related by Muslim.
3) Thawbaan said, "We were on a journey
with the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam), when he said, Truly,
this journey is an exertion and a burden,
so when each of you has prayed Witr,
he should perform two rak`ahs; if he
wakes up (then well and good), otherwise
these two will be (the night prayer)
for him.
Related by Daarimi (1/374), Ibn Khuzaimah
in his Saheeh (2/159/1103) & Ibn
Hibbaan (683) from various routes going
back to: Ibn Wahb, who said: Mu`aawiyah
ibn Saalih narrated to me from Shuraih
ibn `Ubaid from `Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Jubair
ibn Nufair from his father from Thawbaan,
who said ...
Ibn Wahb has been backed up by `Abdullaah
ibn Saalih, who said: Mu`aawiyah ibn
Saalih narrated to us ... etc., related
by Daaraqutni (p. 177) & Tabaraani
in al-Mu`jam al-Kabeer (1410). `Abdullaah
ibn Saalih is a shaykh of Bukhaari, so
he can be used as evidence in supporting
others' narrations.
This hadeeth is used as evidence by Imaam
Ibn Khuzaimah, "that prayer after Witr
is allowed to whoever wants to pray after
it, and that the two rak`ahs which the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)
used to pray after Witr were not exclusively
for him over his Ummah, for he has ordered
us to pray two rak`ahs after Witr, an
order of recommendation and preference,
not one of obligation and compulsion."
Hence, it is clear to us from this hadeeth
(because of his general order to his
Ummah) that the two rak`ahs after Witr
were not exclusively for him; it seems
that the purpose of his command to make
the last prayer at night odd was to prevent
neglect of the one odd rak`ah, so this
objective is not contradicted by the
two rak`ahs after it, as established
in his practice and his command. Allaah
knows best.