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How to pray Witr

Witr ("odd") is the last prayer of the night, prayed after Isha. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make Witr the last of your prayer at night" (Bukhari, Muslim).

Its time

From after Isha until the start of Fajr. If you trust yourself to wake, it is best prayed late in the night after Tahajjud; otherwise pray it before sleeping.

Hanafi method (3 rak'ahs)

In the Hanafi school Witr is wajib and is prayed as three rak'ahs with one salam:

1. Pray two rak'ahs as usual and sit for at-Tahiyyat.
2. Stand for the third rak'ah and recite al-Fatiha and a surah.
3. Before bowing, raise your hands saying "Allahu akbar", then recite Dua Qunut (Dua Qunut (Allahumma inna nasta inuka)).
4. Complete the rak'ah, sit, recite at-Tahiyyat, the Salawat and a dua, and end with salam.

Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali method

In these schools Witr is a confirmed sunnah. It may be one rak'ah, or any odd number up to eleven. A common way is two rak'ahs with a salam, then one rak'ah. The Shafi'is recite Qunut in the last rak'ah of Witr in the second half of Ramadan, after rising from ruku.

Dua Qunut

The best-known wording begins "Allahumma inna nasta'inuka wa nastaghfiruk…" (Dua Qunut (Allahumma inna nasta inuka)). Another, taught by the Prophet ﷺ to his grandson Hasan, begins "Allahumma-hdini fiman hadayt…" (Dua for Witr (Doa Qunut)).

Tahajjud: the night prayer →