SALAT UL WITR

BY:BASHIL
AHAMED

Witr (Arabic: )is an Islamic

prayer (salat) that is
performed at night after
isha'a (night-time prayer) or
before fajr (dawn prayer).
According to the Hanafi Fiqh
witr prayer is wajib. ...
Therefore, as little as one
rakat can be prayed, and
eleven at most.

What is the Witr

prayer?
THE WITR PRAYER IS THE
LAST PRAYER
OF THE NIGHT. THE
MESSENGER OF ALLAH,
SALLALLAHU 'ALAYHI WA
SALLAM, SAID:Al-Bukhari, vol. 2,
book 16, #105
IT CAN BE OFFERED AT ANY
TIME AFTER THE ISHA' PRAYER
AND BEFORE THE FAJR
PRAYER.

Why is it important?
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu
'alayhi wa sallam, strongly
emphasised the importance of this
prayer, and he, himself, did not
leave this prayer even if he was on
a journey or on his mount. Due to
the very firm nature of the
Prophet's emphasis some scholars
have classed this prayer as wajib
(compulsory) but, in reality, it is a
strongly encouraged action of the
Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa

How is it prayed?
The Witr prayer is commonly 3, 5, 7 or 9 raka'at but can also be
just the single rak'ah. It is authentically related that the Prophet,
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, prayed it in a number of different
ways, so the worshipper can choose to pray it in any of the
following ways:
By praying two raka'at at a time (i.e. completely with the salam at
the end of each pair) to the desired number and then a single
complete rak'ah;
By praying all the raka'at together but without sitting in any rak'ah
(i.e. without the julus in which the tashahhud is recited) except for
in the final ra'kah; or
By praying all the raka'at together and sitting only in the unit
before the final rak'ah and then in the final rak'ah again. So, for
example, a worshipper praying 5 raka'at would only sit and recite
tashahhud in the 4th rak'ah and then complete the prayer with a
single complete unit (including another recitation of the
tashahhud).