Complete Guide to Witr Prayer According to the Sunnah

This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ʿAzīz, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus.

Description of the Witr Prayer​

This prayer is called Witr because it is always offered in an odd number. It is part of Qiyām al-Layl and is performed at the end of it; due to this relationship, Qiyām al-Layl itself is also referred to as Witr.

Importance of the Witr Prayer​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

الوتر حق على كل مسلم

“Witr is a right (obligatory duty) upon every Muslim.”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1422 – an-Nasā’ī: 1711 – Ibn Mājah: 1190 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ He ﷺ also said:

إن الله تعالى قد أمدكم بصلاة وهى خير لكم من حمر النعم وهى الوتر

“Allah the Exalted has helped you with a prayer that is better for you than red camels, and that prayer is Witr.”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1418 – at-Tirmidhī: 453 – Ibn Mājah: 1168 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ Sayyidunā ʿAlī رضي الله عنه said:

الوتر ليس بحتم كهيئة المكتوبة لكنه سنة سنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

“Witr is not obligatory like the prescribed prayers; rather, it is a Sunnah established by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

Reference: an-Nasā’ī: 1677 – Ibn Mājah: 1169 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ Witr should be offered both during travel and residence. ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:

“The Prophet ﷺ used to offer voluntary prayers on his mount during travel, facing whichever direction it went, indicating rukūʿ and sujūd by gestures. He did not offer obligatory prayers on the mount, but he did offer Witr on it.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1000 – Muslim: 39

Virtue of the Witr Prayer​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إن الله وتر يحب الوتر

“Indeed, Allah is One (Witr) and He loves Witr.”

Reference: at-Tirmidhī: 453 – Abu Dāwūd: 1416 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Time of the Witr Prayer​

❀ Witr is part of Qiyām al-Layl and not part of the ʿIshā’ prayer, as is commonly assumed. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

الوتر جعله الله لكم فيما بين صلاة العشاء إلى أن يطلع الفجر

“Allah has appointed the time of Witr for you between the ʿIshā’ prayer and the appearance of dawn.”

Reference: at-Tirmidhī: 452 – Abu Dāwūd: 1418 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ Witr may be performed at any time between ʿIshā’ and Fajr. Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

كل الليل أوتر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وانتهى وتره إلى السحر

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed Witr during every part of the night, and his Witr would end near dawn.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 996 – Muslim: 745

❀ Even if one does not perform Tahajjud, Witr should still be offered. Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

“The Prophet ﷺ would pray Tahajjud while I would be sleeping in front of him. When he intended to pray Witr, he would wake me, and I would also pray Witr.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 997 – Muslim: 268/512

❀ The most virtuous time for Witr is the last part of the night. However, whoever fears that he may not wake up may pray Witr before sleeping. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

من خاف أن لا يقوم من آخر الليل فليوتر أوله… فإن صلاة آخر الليل مشهودة وذلك أفضل

“Whoever fears that he will not wake up in the last part of the night should pray Witr at its beginning and then sleep. Whoever hopes to wake up at the end should pray Witr at the end of the night, for the prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels), and that is better.”

Reference: Muslim: 755/1630

❀ Whoever prays Tahajjud should make Witr his final prayer of the night. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

اجعلوا آخر صلاتكم بالليل وترا

“Make the last of your night prayer Witr.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 998 – Muslim: 751

❀ If Witr is missed due to necessity, it may be prayed before Fajr. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه was asked about praying Witr after the adhān, and he replied: “Yes, and even after the iqāmah.”

Reference: an-Nasā’ī: 1686 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Prayer After Witr​

❀ If someone prays Witr and then wakes up later for Tahajjud, he may pray two rakʿahs. Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray nine rakʿahs (including Witr), then after the salām he would pray two rakʿahs while sitting.”

Reference: Muslim: 746

❀ Prayer after Witr is permissible, but repeating Witr is not allowed. Ṭalq ibn ʿAlī رضي الله عنه narrated:

لا وتران فى ليلة

“There are not two Witrs in one night.”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1439 – an-Nasā’ī: 1680 – at-Tirmidhī: 470 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Number of Rakʿahs of Witr​

❀ Authentic aḥādīth establish Witr with one, three, five, seven, and nine rakʿahs.

Method of One Rakʿah​

❀ Pray one rakʿah and conclude with salām.

❀ Regarding one rakʿah Witr, the Prophet ﷺ said:

صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى… صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلى

“The night prayer is two by two. When one fears the approach of dawn, he should pray one rakʿah, making all that he prayed odd.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 990

Method of Three Rakʿahs​

❀ The Prophet ﷺ forbade resembling Maghrib:

لا توتروا بثلاث ولا تشبهوا بصلاة المغرب

“Do not pray Witr with three (like Maghrib), and do not resemble the Maghrib prayer.”

Reference: al-Ḥākim: 1/204 – Ibn Ḥibbān: 2429 – Ṣaḥīḥ

✔ Two valid methods:
① Pray three rakʿahs continuously with no tashahhud in between.
② Pray two rakʿahs with salām, then one rakʿah separately.

Method of Five Rakʿahs​

❀ Sit for tashahhud only in the final rakʿah.

Reference: Muslim: 737

Method of Seven Rakʿahs​

❀ Two methods are reported:
① Sit only at the end.
② Sit at the sixth rakʿah without salām, then stand and complete the seventh, followed by salām.

Reference: an-Nasā’ī: 1720 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Method of Nine Rakʿahs​

❀ Sit for tashahhud in the eighth rakʿah, stand without salām, then complete the ninth, followed by tashahhud and salām.

Reference: Muslim: 746

Recitation in Witr​

❀ Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Sūrah al-Aʿlā in the first rakʿah, Sūrah al-Kāfirūn in the second, and Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ in the third.”

Reference: Ibn Mājah: 1171 – Abu Dāwūd: 1423 – an-Nasā’ī: 1730 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Qunūt in Witr​

❀ Qunūt should be performed before rukūʿ.

Reference: Ibn Mājah: 1182 – al-Bukhārī: 1002 – Muslim: 677

Supplications of Qunūt​

❀ Supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ… تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

“O Allah! Guide me among those whom You have guided…”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1425 – an-Nasā’ī: 1746 – at-Tirmidhī: 464 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ Another supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ…

“O Allah! I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger…”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1427 – an-Nasā’ī: 1748 – at-Tirmidhī: 3566 – Ṣaḥīḥ

✔ Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه would send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ at the end of Qunūt.

Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 1100

Supplication After Witr​

❀ The Prophet ﷺ would recite three times after salām:

سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ

“Glory be to the King, the Most Pure.”
The third time, he would prolong it and raise his voice.

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1430 – an-Nasā’ī: 1734 – Ṣaḥīḥ

Making Up Missed Witr​

❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:

من نام عن وتره أو نسيه فليصله إذا ذكره

“Whoever sleeps and misses his Witr or forgets it should pray it when he remembers.”

Reference: Abu Dāwūd: 1431 – Ṣaḥīḥ

❀ If missed due to sleep, it may be prayed after sunrise.

Reference: Muslim: 747

❀ If Tahajjud is missed, praying twelve rakʿahs during the day is permissible.

Reference: Muslim: 746/141