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sunnah · 3 rakats

How to pray Witr

Witr is an odd-numbered voluntary prayer — 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 rakats. The Prophet ﷺ never left it. The most common practice is 3 rakats.

When: Any time after Isha and before Fajr. Better in the last third of the night.

Steps

  1. Method 1: 3 rakats in one salam

    Pray 3 rakats without sitting for tashahhud after rakat 2. Sit only after the third rakat. Some scholars recite qunut du'a in the third rakat before or after ruku.

  2. Method 2: 2 + 1

    Pray 2 rakats and give salam. Then pray a separate 1-rakat witr with Al-Fatihah + a short surah, ending with tashahhud and salam.

Notes

  • Witr is often prayed with Surah Al-Ala in rakat 1, Al-Kafirun in rakat 2, and Al-Ikhlas (with the Mu'awwidhatan on some nights) in rakat 3.
  • If you tend to miss Witr, pray it right after Isha. If you're confident of waking up, defer it to Tahajjud.