How to perform witr salah?
Witr salah is a significant practice in Islamic prayer, performed after the obligatory night prayers (Isha). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ provided guidance on how to perform Witr.
He explained that the night prayer should be offered in sets of two rak'ahs, and when one intends to conclude the prayer, they should pray one rak'ah as Witr to finalize their prayers. He said: The night prayer should be offered two by two rak’ahs, and when you intend to end, pray one rak’ah as witr for whatever you have prayed.
Sahih al-Bukhari 14:4.
Additionally, when asked about how one should perform Witr if they fear the time for dawn approaching, the Prophet ﷺ advised: Let him pray in twos. If he fears morning, he should pray a single rak'ah to make the prayer Witr. What he has prayed is counted as Witr for him.
Sahih Muslim 6:189.
The Witr prayer can be performed in different ways. For instance, it can be done as three rak'ahs, as the Prophet ﷺ practiced: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed witr with three rak'ahs.
Sunan an-Nasa'i 20:102. In the first rak'ah, he recited "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High"; in the second, he recited "Say: O disbelievers"; and in the third, he recited "Say: He is Allah, the One."
Furthermore, there are different opinions regarding the sequence of prayers. In one narration, it was stated: Rather, he should start with Witr.
Al-Kafi 4:788, indicating that if one is worried about missing the time for Fajr, they should perform Witr first.
Ultimately, Witr is a highly recommended prayer, and while the practice may vary slightly among different Islamic schools of thought, the essential purpose remains to conclude the night prayers with a sense of devotion and supplication.
Sources
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Sahih al-Bukhari 14:4
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 14, Hadith 4 · Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The night prayer should be offered two by two rak’ahs, and when you intend to end, pray one rak’ah as witr for whatever you have prayed.' Ibn al-Qasim said: 'We used to see some people since we have known them performing witr with three rak’ahs, and both ways are expansive. I hope there is no harm in either.'
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Sahih Muslim 6:189
Sahih Muslim · Book 6, Hadith 189 · Narrated by Ibn Umar
A man called out to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was in the mosque and asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, how should one perform the Witr of the night prayer?' The Messenger of Allah said, 'Let him pray in twos. If he fears morning, he should pray a single rak'ah to make the prayer Witr. What he has prayed is counted as Witr for him.'
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Sunan an-Nasa'i 20:102
Sunan an-Nasa'i · Book 20, Hadith 102 · Narrated by Abi bin Ka'b
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed witr with three rak'ahs. In the first, he recited: "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High"; in the second, he recited: "Say: O disbelievers"; and in the third, he recited: "Say: He is Allah, the One." Before bowing, he performed qunut. When he finished, he would say "Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy" three times, prolonging the last one.
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Al-Kafi 4:788
Al-Kafi · Book 4, Hadith 788
When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was born, he stayed for some days without milk. Abu Talib placed him on his breast, and Allah caused milk to flow within him, so he suckled for some days until Abu Talib gave him over to Halima al-Sa'diyya. — OR — I asked him about a man who prays at the end of the night and fears dawn catching him: should he begin with the Witr prayer or pray the regular prayers first so that the Witr becomes the last? He said, "Rather, he should start with Witr." And he said, "I used to do that myself."
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