Sunan an-Nasa'i 1676
سنن النسائي#1676Sahihأَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي نُعَيْمٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ ضَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ الْوِتْرُ لَيْسَ بِحَتْمٍ كَهَيْئَةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ وَلَكِنَّهُ سُنَّةٌ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
It was narrated that Ali, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with him, said:"Witr is not essential like the obligatory prayers, but it is the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Abu GhuddahSahih
Al-AlbaniSahih
Zubair Ali ZaiSahih
In-book reference: 20:79