Why Witr Prayer Is Sunnah Mu’akkadah in Both Ramadan and Non-Ramadan
Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
Is Witr Obligatory Outside Ramadan?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d:
Witr prayer is not exclusive to Ramadan. Rather:
✿ Witr is Sunnah Mu’akkadah in both Ramadan and non-Ramadan.
✿ Imām Aḥmad رحمه الله and many other great Imams have said:
“Whoever abandons Witr is a bad person, and his testimony should not be accepted.”
This shows clearly:
◈ A Muslim should not leave Witr prayer under any circumstances, whether in Ramadan or outside of it.
Meaning of Witr
✿ Witr means:
◈ Ending the night prayer with an odd-numbered rak‘ah.
✿ Some people mistakenly think Witr only refers to Qunūt, but this is incorrect because:
❀ Qunūt is a separate matter.
❀ Witr is a distinct prayer.
Ways of Performing Witr
✿ Witr can be performed in two ways:
◈ As one rak‘ah at the end, to make the total number of night prayers odd.
◈ As three rak‘ahs prayed together.
Conclusion
✿ Witr prayer is Sunnah Mu’akkadah in both Ramadan and non-Ramadan.
✿ A Muslim should never neglect this act of worship.
هٰذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
