Witr is an odd-numbered prayer prayed after ‘Isha and before Fajr.
The simplest widely accepted method is two rak‘ahs (rak‘ah means one unit of prayer), ending with salam, followed by one rak‘ah prayed separately. In the final rak‘ah, recite Al-Fatihah and another surah, then complete the prayer normally; you may make the qunut supplication before or after ruku‘, but it is not necessary for the prayer to be valid.
Step by step
- 1Make the intention to pray Witr for Allah.
- 2Pray two rak‘ahs and finish with salam.
- 3Stand and pray one rak‘ah: recite Al-Fatihah and another surah, bow, prostrate, then sit for the tashahhud (the testimony recited while sitting) and finish with salam.
- 4Pray it anytime after ‘Isha until dawn; the Prophet ﷺ instructed that Witr be prayed before morning (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1753).
There is valid scholarly difference: many scholars permit one, three, five, or more odd-numbered rak‘ahs, while the Hanafi school generally prays three connected rak‘ahs with qunut in the third. The Prophet ﷺ commonly prayed eleven rak‘ahs in Ramadan and outside Ramadan, including Witr (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2013). If you fear you will not wake later, pray Witr before sleeping; it is also authentically reported that he advised praying it before sleep (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 1981).
