Praise be to Allah SWT.  

Witir prayer is one of the greatest acts of worship that would draw one closer to Allah SWT. It is the most highly regarded Sunnah [Sunnah Mu’akadah] and was enjoined by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in more than one hadith.

Some of the scholars view since it is one of the Sunnah Mu’akadah the Muslim should observe regularly and not to neglect it whether travelling or not, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do.

Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Perform Witir before morning comes.” [Muslim (754)]

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O people of the Qur’an, pray Witir, for Allah is One and loves that which is odd-numbered.” [Classified as sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud].

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:”the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, atop his mount, whichever direction it was facing, gesturing the motions of the night prayer, except the obligatory prayer, and he prayed Witir atop his mount.” [Al-Bukhari (1000) and Muslim (700)]

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Witir is not obligatory. This is the view of Malik and Al-Shafi’e. Abu Hanifah said: it is obligatory. Then he said: Ahmad said: Whoever omits to pray Witir deliberately is a bad man, whose testimony should not be accepted. He wanted to emphasize that it is confirmed because of the ahadith which say that it is enjoined and encouraged. [Al-Mughni, 1/827]

All these indicate that Witir prayer is an established Sunnah.

The manner of offering Witir prayer is as follows:

1. The Time Frame:

The Witir prayer begins when a person has performed the prayer of ‘Isha’, even if it is combined to Maghrib at the time of Maghrib, and lasts until dawn begins. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Allah has prescribed for you a prayer (by which He may increase your reward), which is Witir; Allah has enjoined it for you during the time between ‘Isha’ prayer until dawn [Fajar Prayer].”

[Narrated by Al-Tirmidzi, 425; classified as sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Tirmidzi]

2. When: The Beginning Of Its Time Or Later Part Of The Night?

The Sunnah indicates that if a person thinks he will be able to get up at the end of the night, it is better to delay it, because prayer at the end of the night is better and is witnessed (by the angels). But whoever fears that he would not be able to get up at the end of the night, he should pray Witir before he goes to sleep, because of the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, but whoever thinks that he will be able to get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witir at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better.” [Narrated by Muslim, 755].

Al-Nawawi said: This is the correct view. Other ahadith which speak of this topic in general terms are to be interpreted in the light of this sound specific and clear a report, such as the hadith, “My close friend advised me not to sleep without having prayed Witir.” This is to be understood as referring to one who is not sure whether he would be able to wake up (to pray Witir at the end of the night). [Sharh Muslim, 3/277.]

3. The Number Of Raka’ahs:

One Raka’ah.

The minimum number of raka’ahs for Witir is one raka’ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Witir is one raka’ah at the end of the night.” [Narrated by Muslim, 752.]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said:

“The night prayers are two (raka’ahs) by two, but if one of you fears that dawn is about to break, let him pray one raka’ah to make what he has prayed odd-numbered.”  [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 911; Muslim, 749.]

If a person limits himself to praying one raka’ah, he was considered to have performed the Sunnah. But Witir may also be performed in three or five or seven or nine. 

Three Raka’ahs

If a person prays three raka’ahs of Witir it could be done in two ways, which both of which are prescribed in syari’ah:

1. To pray them one after another, with one tashahhud: This is because of the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said:

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used not to say the tasleem in the (first) two raka’ahs of Witir”. According to another version: “He used to pray Witir with three raka’ahs and he did not sit except in the last of them.”

[Narrated by Al-Nasa’i, 3/234; Al-Baihaqi, 3/31. Al-Nawawi said in Al-Majmu’ (4/7): it was narrated by Al-Nasa’i with a hasan isnad and by Al-Baihaqi with a sahih isnad.]

  OR 

2. Saying the tasleem after two raka’ahs, then praying one raka’ah on its own: This is because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): [He said] that he used to separate the two raka’ahs from the single raka’ah with a tasleem, and he said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do [like] that.

[Narrated by Ibn Hibban (2435); Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fath (2/482): its isnad is qawiy (strong)].

Five Or Seven Raka’ahs

But should he prays Witir with five or seven raka’ahs, then he should be continuous, and he should only recite one tashahhud in the last of them and say the tasleem, because of the report narrated by Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray thirteen rak’ahs at night [an eight raka’at night prayer], praying five raka’ahs of Witr, in which he would not sit except in the last raka’ah.

[Narrated by Muslim, (737)]

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray Witir with five or seven (raka’ahs) and he did not separate between them with any Salam or words.

[Narrated by Ahmad, 6/290; al-Nasa’i, 1714. Al-Nawawi said: Its isnad is jayyid. Al-Fath Al-Rabbani, 2/297. And it was classified as sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Nasa’i]

Nine Raka’ahs.

If one prays Witir nine raka’ahs, then it should be continuous and he should sit to recite the tashahhud in the eighth raka’ah, then stand up and not say the tasleem, then he should recite the tashahhud in the ninth raka’ah and then say the tasleem.

‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray nine raka’ahs in which he did not sit except in the eighth, when he would praise Allah and call upon Him, then he would get up and not say the tasleem, and he would stand up and pray the ninth (raka’ah), then he would sit and praise Allah and call upon Him, then he would say a tasleem that we could hear. [Muslim (746)]

Eleven Raka’ahs.

If he prayed Witir with eleven raka’ahs, he would say the tasleem after each two rak’ahs, and then pray one raka’ah at the end.

What Is To Be Recited Therein?

In the first raka’ah one should recite Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah Al-A’la, 87). In the second one should recite Surah Al-Kafirun, 109, and in the third Surah Al-Ikhlas, 112). 

Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in Witir Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah Al-A’la, 87), Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kaafirun (“Say: O disbeliever…” – Surah al-Kafirun, 109) and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (“Say: He is Allah, the One” – Surah Al-Ikhlas, 112). [Classified as sahih by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Nasa’i (1729)].

All the ways of offering Witir prayer have been mentioned in the Sunnah, but the best way is not to stick to one particular way; rather one should do it one way and another way another time, so that one will have done all the Sunnahs.

And Allah knows best.

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Fatawa No: 46544 published in Islam Q&A

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Du’a Al-Qunut In Witir Prayer

Praise be to Allah.  

Firstly, Du’a Al-Qunut is recited in the last raka’ah of Witir prayer, after bowing, but it is permissible if one recites it before bowing it but it is better after ruku’.

Shaykh al-Islam, Ibn Taimiyyah said in Majmu’ Al-Fatawa (23/100):

With regard to qunut: there are two extreme views and one middle (or moderate) view. Some say that qunut should only be recited before bowing and some say that it should only be recited after bowing. The fuqaha’ among the scholars of hadith, such as Ahmad and others, say that both are allowed, because both are mentioned in the sahih Sunnah, but they preferred reciting qunut after bowing because this is mentioned more often. 

Raising the hands is mentioned in a sahih report from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as was narrated by Al-Baihaqi in a report which he classified as sahih (2/210).

The worshipper should raise his hands to chest height and no more, because this du’a is not a du’a of supplication in which a person needs to raise his hands high. Rather it is a du’a of hope in which a person holds out his palms towards heaven. The apparent meaning of the scholar’s words is that the worshipper should hold his hands close together like a beggar who asks someone else to give him something.

It is not to recite qunut in witir all the time; rather it should be done sometimes, because there is no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did it all the time. But he taught Al-Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) a du’a to recite in Qunut Al-Witr, as will be quoted below.

Secondly, the du’a of qunut was narrated by Abu Dawud (1425), Al-Tirmidzi (464), and Al-Nasa’i (1746) from Al-Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me some words to say in qunut al-witr:

“Allaahumma ihdini feeman hadayta wa ‘aafini feeman ‘aafayta wa tawallani feeman tawallayta wa baarik li feema a’tayta, wa qini sharra ma qadayta , fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ‘alayk, wa innahu laa yadhillu man waalayta wa laa ya’izzu man ‘aadayta, tabaarakta Rabbana wa ta’aalayta la manja minka illa ilayk.

[O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those whom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted. There is no place of safety from You except with You].”

The last phrase – Laa manja minka illa ilayka (There is no place of safety from You except with You) – was narrated by Ibn Mandah in Al-Tawheed and classified as hasan by Al-Albani.

[See Irwa’ Al-Ghaleel, Hadith no. 426, 429].

Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). See Al-Sharh Al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (4/14-52).

Thirdly, it is mustahabb to say after the tasleem: Subhaan al-Malik al-Quddus three times, elongating the vowels the third time, as narrated by al-Nasa’i (1699) and classed as hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasa’i.

Al-Daraqutni added the word: Rabb al-Malaa’ikah wa’l-Ruh (Lord of the angels and the Spirit), with a saheeh isnad. See Zaad Al-Ma’aad by Ibn Al-Qayyim, 1/337.

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Fatawa No.14093 published in Islam Q&A

©Islam Q&A

Praying Witir In Ramadhan

Performing Tarawih prayers in Hanafi mosques, the Witir salah is done 3 raka’ahs with TWO sittings for tashahhud in which Salam is not said until the last raka’ah (i.e. the same as Maghrib). Is it correct to join them in this or should we pray witir separately?

Praise be to Allah.  

It was proven that the Prophet SAW prayed Witir in different ways. He prayed one raka’ah, three, five, seven, and nine.

He prayed the three raka’ahs in two different ways, either continuously with one tashahhud, or he would be saying Salam after two raka’ahs and praying another one raka’ah and saying Salam and concludes it.

He did not pray it like Maghrib, with two tashahhuds and one Salam. Rather he forbade doing that, and said: “Do not pray Witir with three raka’ahs like Maghrib.” [Narrated by al-Hakim, 1/403; al-Baihaqi, 3/31; al-Daraqutni, p. 172.]

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (4/301): Its isnad fulfils the conditions of the two Sheikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Salih Al-‘Uthaymeen said:

It is permissible to pray Witir with three raka’ahs, or with five, or with seven, or with nine. If a person prays Witir with three, it may be done in one of two ways, both of which are prescribed in syari’ah:

1. Praying the three rak’ahs continually with one tashahhud.

2. Saying salam after two raka’ahs, then praying one raka’ah on its own.

Both of these are narrated in the Sunnah, so if a person does it one way sometimes and the other way sometimes, that is good.

It is permissible to say it with one salam, but it should be with only one tashahhud and not two, because if he does it with two Tashahhuds, it will be like Maghrib prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade making it like Maghrib prayer.

 Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/14-16

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Fatawa No 38230 Islam Q&A

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 Making Witir Not Resemble Maghrib

The Prophet SAW forbade praying witir as three raka’ahs, and explained this by saying: Do not make it resemble Salat al-Maghrib.

Praise is to Allah.  

Before answering this question, we would like to appreciate your eagerness to follow the Sunnah, and we ask Allah to make us and you among those who listen to the word and follow it properly. 

The prohibition of the Prophet SAW in the hadith narrated by al-Hakim (1/304), al-Baihaqi (3/31) and al-Daraqutni (p. 172), and which was classified as sahih by al-Hakim in accordance to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

According to this hadith the Prophet SAW said: “Do not pray Witir with three raka’ahs that resemble Maghrib.” What the Prophet SAW meant, as the scholars have explained, was that we should not sit to recite the first Tashahhud in a manner that resembles Maghrib.

See Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar, 4/301. Al-Hafiz said: Its isnad is sahih according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari and Muslim. See also ‘Awn al-Ma’bud, commentary on hadith no. 1423; Salat Al-Tarawih by Al-Albani, p. 97.

Allah knows best.

©Islam Q&A

Adding another Raka’ah to the Imam’s Witir as One Intents to Pray more Later 

 Some people, when imam concludes witir, they would get up and do another raka’ah, as they want to do more prayers later in the night. Is it considered to be forsaking the prayer with the imam? 

Praise be to Allah. 

There is nothing wrong with this, and the ‘ulama’ stated that there is nothing wrong with doing this, so long that  his witir is done at the end of the night.  

He is considered to have fulfilled which he had prayed with the imam until he concluded it, because he stayed with him until he concluded. The fact that he added another raka’ah is for a shar’ie reason, so that he could pray witir later in the night  he would do nothing wrong , he did not forsaking the imam but he continues from him – rather he just delayed it a little longer. 

[Al-Jawab Al-Sahih Min Ahkam Salat Al-Layl Wa’l-Tarawih by Shaikh ‘Abdal ‘Azeez Ibn Baaz, p. 41.] 

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Can he pray Witr twice in one night if he prays after the imam?  

I would like to enquire whether at the end of Tarawih we should pray al-Shaf’ [two raka’ahs of naafil prayer] and Witir? I heard that the last prayer should be Witr. Does that mean that if I get up to pray Qiyamu-lail I should pray al-Shaf’ and Witir again, or should I delay them until I perform qiyam and then pray it? 

Praise be to Allah.   

If the Muslim prays Witr then he wants to pray Qiyamu-lail after that, he should pray them two by two, and he does not have to repeat Witir.  

The Prophet SAW commanded that the last prayer offered at night should be Witir, but this command is in the sense that is it mustahabb, not obligatory.  

Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked: “If I have prayed Witir at the beginning of the night, then I get up to pray qiyam at the end of the night, how should I pray?”  

He replied:  

If you have prayed Witir at the beginning of the night then Allah enables you to get up at the end of the night, and then pray whatever you can two by two – without Witir, because the Prophet SAW said: “There cannot be any two Witirs in one night.”  

And it was narrated from ‘Aishah RA that the Prophet SAW used to pray two raka’ahs after Witir sitting down. The reason for that – and Allah knows best – was to show the people that it is permissible to pray after Witir.  

[Majmoo’ Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/311]  

And Allah knows best.  

©Islam Q&A