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How Do You Pray Witr?

Witr is an odd-numbered night prayer between Isha and Fajr, most often 3 rak'ahs. A step-by-step guide, Dua al-Qunut with meaning, and how schools differ.

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7 min read

Short answer

Witr is an odd-numbered night prayer prayed any time after Isha until Fajr begins, most commonly as 3 rak'ahs (the minimum is 1). You can pray 2 rak'ahs, end with salam, then pray 1 more, or pray all 3 together with one tashahhud at the end, and many add Dua al-Qunut in the last rak'ah. Most scholars hold Witr is a confirmed sunnah, while the Hanafi school holds it is wajib (necessary).

Witr is the prayer that closes the night. It is short, it can be prayed right after Isha, and the Prophet ﷺ rarely left it, whether at home or travelling. Yet many Muslims are unsure how many rak'ahs it has, when the qunut goes, or what to do if they wake up for tahajjud later.

This guide covers all of it, including where the schools differ.

What is the Witr prayer?

Witr means "odd," and it is a night prayer with an odd number of rak'ahs that seals your prayers for the day. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah is single (witr) and loves what is single, so observe the witr, you who follow the Qur'an" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1416, graded sahih). He also said, "Make witr as your last prayer at night" (Sahih al-Bukhari 998).

Is Witr obligatory or sunnah?

The majority of scholars say Witr is a sunnah mu'akkadah (strongly emphasised sunnah), while the Hanafi school says it is wajib. IslamQA (Fatwa 36793) quotes Ibn Qudamah: "Witr is not obligatory. This is the view of Malik and al-Shafi'i. Abu Hanifah said: it is obligatory." Imam Ahmad said whoever deliberately leaves it is "a bad man, whose testimony should not be accepted," showing how seriously even those who call it sunnah take it.

School Ruling on Witr Usual form Qunut in Witr
Hanafi Wajib 3 rak'ahs, one salam, sitting after the 2nd Obligatory, every night, before ruku in the 3rd rak'ah
Shafi'i Sunnah mu'akkadah 1 to 11 rak'ahs; 3 often prayed as 2 + 1 Sunnah in the second half of Ramadan, after ruku
Maliki Sunnah mu'akkadah 1 rak'ah after 2 rak'ahs of shaf' Not recited in Witr
Hanbali Sunnah mu'akkadah 1 to 11 rak'ahs Sunnah all year, after ruku

The Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali qunut views follow Egypt's Dar al-Ifta summary of the schools; the Maliki school's well-known position is that qunut belongs to Fajr rather than Witr.

When is the time for Witr?

Witr can be prayed any time after Isha until Fajr begins, and the last part of the night is best if you can wake up. The Prophet ﷺ said, "If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable" (Sahih Muslim 755).

If you are not sure you will wake up, pray it straight after Isha. That is the safe choice for most people.

How many rak'ahs is Witr?

Witr can be 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 rak'ahs; 3 is the most common. The minimum is one: "Witr is a rak'ah at the end of the prayer" (Sahih Muslim 752). The Prophet ﷺ also described night prayer as two rak'ahs at a time, then "if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn... he should pray one Rak'ah and this will be a Witr for all the Rak'at which he has prayed before" (Sahih al-Bukhari 990).

How do you pray 3 rak'ahs of Witr step by step?

There are two well-known methods for 3 rak'ahs, plus the Hanafi method. IslamQA (Fatwa 46544) describes the first two as both established in the Sunnah.

Method 1: 2 + 1 (two salams)

  1. Pray 2 rak'ahs like Fajr and end with salam.
  2. Stand and pray 1 more rak'ah: recite al-Fatiha and a surah, ruku, rise, (optional qunut), sujood, tashahhud, salam.

Method 2: 3 together (one tashahhud)

  1. Pray 3 rak'ahs in a row without sitting for tashahhud after the second.
  2. Sit for tashahhud only at the end of the third, then salam.

Hanafi method

  1. Pray 2 rak'ahs and sit for the first tashahhud, then stand without salam.
  2. In the third rak'ah, recite al-Fatiha and a surah, then say "Allahu akbar" raising your hands, and recite Dua al-Qunut.
  3. Go into ruku, complete the rak'ah, and finish with tashahhud and salam.

What to recite: the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Surah al-A'la (87) in the first rak'ah, al-Kafirun (109) in the second, and al-Ikhlas (112) in the third (Sunan Abi Dawud 1423). After the salam, he would say "Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus" three times (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1729).

What is the Dua al-Qunut for Witr?

The best-known qunut is the one the Prophet ﷺ taught his grandson al-Hasan ibn 'Ali to say in Witr (Sunan Abi Dawud 1425; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 464):

Allahumma-hdini fiman hadayt, wa 'afini fiman 'afayt, wa tawallani fiman tawallayt, wa barik li fima a'tayt, wa qini sharra ma qadayt, fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk, wa innahu la yadhillu man walayt, tabarakta Rabbana wa ta'alayt.

"O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, pardon me among those You have pardoned, befriend me among those You have befriended, bless me in what You have granted, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. Indeed You decree, and none can pass decree upon You. He whom You befriend is not humiliated. Blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted."

If you have not memorised it yet, read it from a card or say any sincere du'a. Under the Hanafi view, it is enough to say a shorter du'a while you learn.

Can you pray tahajjud after Witr?

Yes, but do not repeat Witr. If you prayed Witr after Isha and then wake for tahajjud, pray your extra rak'ahs in twos and leave the Witr as it is. The Prophet ﷺ said, "There are no two witrs during one night" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1439; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 470).

What if you miss Witr?

Pray it when you remember or wake up. The Prophet ﷺ said, "If anyone oversleeps and misses the witr, or forgets it, he should pray when he remembers" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1431, graded sahih). For missed obligatory prayers more broadly, see our guide on making up missed prayers.

How do you make Witr a daily habit?

Attach it to Isha. Pray Witr straight after Isha's sunnah until you are confident you can wake before Fajr, then move it later. Waking up for the last third of the night also makes Fajr easier; see how to wake up for Fajr. If you are still learning the obligatory prayers, start with the five daily prayers explained.

Salah Home is a prayer tracker app, free to download on iPhone, for tracking your five daily prayers with a tap. Keeping those five steady is the foundation that makes extras like Witr feel natural, and every prayer you log earns Dates for your peaceful virtual home.

Frequently asked questions

How many rakats is Witr?

Witr can be 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 rak'ahs. Three is the most common, and one rak'ah on its own is valid according to the majority of scholars (Sahih Muslim 752).

Is Witr prayer compulsory?

The majority of scholars say Witr is a strongly emphasised sunnah, not obligatory. The Hanafi school holds that it is wajib, a level just below fard.

Can I pray Witr right after Isha?

Yes. Witr's time begins after Isha and lasts until Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ advised praying it early if you fear you won't wake up later (Sahih Muslim 755).

Do I have to recite Dua al-Qunut in Witr?

For Hanafis, qunut in Witr is obligatory every night. Hanbalis consider it sunnah all year, Shafi'is recite it in the second half of Ramadan, and Malikis do not recite it in Witr.

What if I pray Witr and then wake up for tahajjud?

Pray tahajjud in sets of two rak'ahs and do not pray Witr again, because the Prophet ﷺ said, "There are no two witrs during one night" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1439).

Sources

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