WITR PRAYER

Witr Prayer is sunnat Mu'akkadah. It is very much emphasized by Prophet Muhammad (saw). He did not leave this prayer even during a journey or when mounted on camelback. It was so much emphasized that some Muslim scholars understood that it was wajib (compulsory) but after a careful study of hadiths it can be said that it is not wajib but a very much emphasized prayer.

Witr prayer is often mistakenly thought of as part of the Isha prayer. This is not so. Witr prayer is a separate prayer which can be offered after the Isha prayer right up to the break of dawn. For the convenience of the believers Prophet (saw) allowed Witrs to be offered straight after Isha.

In Arabic the word witr means, One. In hadiths the Messenger of Allah says: "Allah is one, so he likes the number, ONE." (Muslim).

Allah also likes odd numbers because when an odd number is divided by 2,the remainder is always one. For this reason Prophet (saw) preferred odd numbers. He liked to do things in odd numbers in his routine life, also, such as: when saying prayers, saying du'as, eating dates etc. That is why Prophet (saw) asked the believers to pray witr at the end of the night prayer so that it can make the night prayer into an odd number.

Abdullah bin Umar (ra) says that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Night prayer is to be offered in 2 rakats units. When one of you feels that dawn is near then he should offer 1 rakat which can make all the night prayer he offered into an odd number." (Bukhari, Muslim).

NUMBER OF RAKATS OF WITR PRAYER

Abdullah bin Umar (ra) said that the messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'Witr prayer is one rakat at the end of the nafl prayer at night."

Abu Ayub (ra) says that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Every Muslim should pray witr. Anyone who likes to pray 5 rakats of witr he should do so, anyone who likes to pray 3 rakats, he should do so, and anyone who likes to pray one rakat, he should do so."(AbuDawud,Nisai, IbnMajah).

We understand from the above mentioned hadith's that the actual witr prayer is one rakat, although a person can offer, 1,3,5,7, or 9 rakats of witr prayer. All of these numbers are approved by Prophet Muhammad (saw) in authentic hadiths.

TIME OF WITR PRAYER

Witr prayer can be offered after the Isha prayer right up to the break of dawn.

Aisha (ra) said: "Prophet Muhammad (saw) prayed witr during all times of the night. Sometimes he prayed Witr during the first part of the night, sometimes during the middle part of the night, and sometimes during the end part of the night but he used to complete the prayer before the break of dawn." (Bukhari, Muslim).

However, a person who thinks he could not get up to pray witr at the end part of the night can offer witr immediately after Isha or before he goes to bed. But someone who thinks that he can get up and pray nafl at night should pray witr at the end of his night prayer.

Jabir (ra) said that the Prophet (saw) said: "Anyone of you who could not get up at this end part of the night he should pray witr in the first part of the night and anyone of you who thinks he can get up at the end part of the night he should pray witr then, because the angels are present for the prayer offered at the end part of the night." (Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmizi, Ibn Majah).

HOW TO PRAY WITR

When praying one Witr a person can offer it as the usual prayer.

When praying 3, 5, 7 or 9 rakats of witr prayer there is more than one way the prayer can be offered. For example :-

1. A person praying 3 rakats witr can pray 2 rakats like the usual prayer. After the Salutation, "As-Salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatul-lah", first to the right and then to the left he should get up immediately to complete the third rakat. This way of offering wake prayer is called, 'witr bil fasal'.
2. A person praying 3 rakats or 5 rakats Witr should not sit for Tashahud in between the rakats except in the last rakat.
3. A person praying 3, 5 or 7 rakats Witr should sit in Tashahud in the last but one rakat, e.g. in the second rakat if he is offering 3 Witr, fourth rakat if he is offering 5 witr, or sixth rakat if he is offering 7 Witr and so on. He should read Tashahud and then get up for the last rakat and complete it

All three methods are authentic and are practised by the great ulemas and scholars.

Prophet (saw) said: "Do not make your witr prayer similar to your maghrib prayer." (Qiamul-lail).