How to Perform Witr Prayer

The Witr is an Islamic prayer that is to be recited at nighttime. Unlike the five daily prayers, Witr is not obligatory but it is highly recommended. Alongside fasting and the five daily prayers, the Witr is an important part the Islamic faith. There are many options for performing Witr. One might choose to perform a one rak’ah (e.g., prayer unit) Witr or an eleven rak’ah Witr and one may very well choose to alternate between different ways of performing the Witr.^{[1]XResearch source} One may also choose between performing the Witr in the evening, after the Isha prayer and before going to bed, or at the end of the night and just before dawn.^{[2]XResearch source} Regardless of how you choose to perform Witr, it is important to clearly state your intentions and regularly pray Witr.

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Performing the Witr Prayer

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State how many rak’ah you plan to perform for your Witr prayer.^{[3]XResearch source} It is important to have good intentions and to pray to please Allah.
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Learn how to perform one prayer unit or rak’ah of Witr. Start the rak’ah by standing up straight for prayer. Then, bow forward and prostrate. Finally, sit and prostrate. You have now performed one rak’ah of Witr.
- Start by standing for prayer. Keep your hands over your chest and grasp your left hand with your right hand.
- To bow: bend at the waist and rest your hands on your knees. Keep your back straight, and then make a recitation silently to yourself (for example, Subhana Rabbiyal Adhim or How Perfect is my Lord, the Supreme).
- To prostrate: Put your forehead to the floor and your hands to either side. Remember to keep your elbows off the floor. In this position, you can make a recitation (e.g., Subhana Rabbiyal A'la or How Perfect is my Lord, the Highest).
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Place your hands on your thighs and close to your knees. Then, you hold your right hand closed with your thumb and middle finger touching to form a circle. You point your index finger towards Qiblah. You then recite the Tashahhud.^{[4]XResearch source} Bear witness to God and to his servant Muhammad.
Sit down and turn your head to the right shoulder, then say, “Assalaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah.” You then turn your head to the left and repeat the same phrase. You have now completed the peace offering or tasleem.
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Pray an odd number of rak’ah for your Witr prayer. You may choose to perform one, three, five, seven, nine, or eleven prayer units or rak’ah. For example, you can choose from the following options for praying Witr:
- Pray a one rak'ah Witr prayer. You have now performed the Sunnah.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Pray a three rak’ah Witr prayer. There are two options for performing the three rak’ah Witr prayer. In the first option, you can pray the three rak’ah in a row and then offer a final tashahhud.^{[6]XResearch source} The tashahhud is the test of faith. In the second option, you say the tasleem after performing two rak’ah and then pray one more rak’ah.
- Pray a five or seven rak’ah of Witr. If you want to perform a five or seven rak’ah, you should perform the rak’ah continuously and then offer one tashahhud and say the tasleem at the end.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Pray a nine rak’ah Witr. Perform the rak’ah continuously, one after another. In the eighth rak’ah, you should perform the tashahhud. In the ninth rak’ah, you should offer the final tashahhud. Finally, you should say the tasleem.
- Pray an eleven rak’ah Witr. If you pray an eleven rak’ah Witr, you should say tasleem after every two rak’ah.^{[8]XResearch source}

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Making Sure You Are Ready to Pray

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1
Recognize the significance of Witr prayer. Witr prayer is the final prayer of the day and consists of an odd number of rak’ahs or prayer units. Alongside fasting and the salat al-duha prayer, Witr is one of the most important aspects of the Islamic faith.
- Figure out your options for praying Witr. The Prophet gives options for praying Witr at night, such as deciding how many prayer units or rak’ah you will perform and when you will pray during the night.
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Choose a time to perform the Witr prayer every day. Find a time that works for your schedule and fits within the allowed time window for the Witr prayer. The time window for praying Witr lasts between the final mandatory prayer of the day, which is called Isha, and the rise of dawn. If you think you can wake up before dawn, you could wake up and pray. If you are worried about sleeping through dawn, you should perform Witr before going to bed.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Make time for Witr while travelling. When the Prophet travelled, he still performed Witr. So, when you travel, you should also perform Witr.
The minimum number of rak’ah for witr is one, so you should perform at least one rak’ah. However, you may choose to perform an odd number of rak’ah greater than one, such as three, five, seven, or nine rak’ah.^{[10]XResearch source}
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Make sure you have a place and time to pray Witr. You will need a place to perform Witr prayer at night, so make sure you have a space for praying. This is especially important if you are travelling or visiting friends. You will also need enough time to perform Witr. Since there are options for how many Rak’ah you perform, you should be able to perform Witr even while travelling.
- If you are a university or college student, some schools now offer prayer rooms on campus. Inquire with the university student union or with administration to find out about prayer rooms.
- Make sure you have a clean place to pray.
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Wear appropriate clothing. Men should wear pants that go all the way down to the ankles. Women should wear clothes that cover their entire bodies except for face and hands.
- For example, men could wear loose-fitting cotton pants.
- For example, women might choose to wear long sleeved dresses.

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Question
How do I perform qadha salah?
Sobi
Top Answerer
The Prophet said, “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that.” You pray the prayer how you normally would. Remember that by making the prayer up, you are not completely sin-free because you have delayed the prayer, so you must still repent and do good deeds to make up for the sin.
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In the last rakaat of the witr salaat, can you raise your hand in the dua position when reading dua kunoot? And is there any report of how Rasulollah (sas) performs the witr salaat?
Sobi
Top Answerer
Yes, it is sunnah to raise the hands while reciting the qunoot. Raising the hands is mentioned in a saheeh report from ‘Umar, as was narrated by al-Bayhaqi.
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What is dua qunoot?
Sobi
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Dua Qunoot is the du'a read in the final rak'ah of witr. In the final rak'ah after reading Surah Fatiha and a surah, you do not need to read Surah Fatiha or another surah again. You just recite Dua Qunoot. If you don't know that, you should read any du'a from the Qur'an.
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