Sunan Ibn Majah 1187
It was
narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever
among you fears that he will not wake up at the end of the
night, let
him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, then go to
sleep.
Whoever hopes that he will wake up at the end of the night, let
him
pray Witr at the end of the night, for recitation (of the Qur’an)
at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is
better.”
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي غَنِيَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏
"‏ مَنْ خَافَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ لاَ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ، فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ لْيَرْقُدْ. وَمَنْ طَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَسْتَيْقِظَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ، فَلْيُوتِرْ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ. فَإِنَّ قِرَاءَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَحْضُورَةٌ. وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏