Sunan an-Nasa'i 1713
سنن النسائي#1713Sound chainقَالَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ مَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ بِخَمْسٍ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ بِثَلاَثٍ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْتَرَ بِوَاحِدَةٍ وَمَنْ شَاءَ أَوْمَأَ إِيمَاءً .
Sufyan narrated from Az-Zuhri, from 'Ata bin Yazid, from Abu Ayyub, who said:"Whoever wants to pray witr with seven (rak'ahs) let him do so, and whoever wants to pray witr with five (rak'ahs) let him do so, and whoever wants to pray witr with three rak'ahs, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray witr with one rak'ah, let him do so, and wants to do so gesturing, let him do so
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave, each scholar counted once — 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. When they judged only its chain of narrators (“Isnaad”), the label says “Sound chain”. Each scholar's own wording:
Our source also lists this ruling under Abu Ghuddah, the editor of the printed edition it was taken from. It is al-Albani's ruling printed again, so it is counted once.
In-book reference: 20:116