What is the best way to perform the Witr prayer?
Witr prayer is an emphasized Sunnah. Its time extends from after the Isha prayer until the appearance of dawn. It is preferable to delay it until the last part of the night for those who are confident they will wake up; otherwise, one should pray Witr before sleeping. The minimum Witr is one rakah, and it is permissible to pray three, five, seven, nine, or eleven rakahs. For Witr with three rakahs, there are two forms: praying them consecutively with one tashahhud, or performing the taslim after two rakahs, then praying one rakah for Witr. Witr with five or seven rakahs is performed consecutively with one tashahhud at the end. Witr with nine rakahs is performed consecutively with a tashahhud in the eighth rakah, then standing for the ninth, and performing the taslim thereafter. Witr with eleven rakahs is performed by making taslim after every two rakahs, then praying one rakah for Witr. In the three rakahs of Witr, one recites Surat Al-Ala (Sabbih Isma Rabbika Al-Ala) in the first, Surat Al-Kafirun in the second, and Surat Al-Ikhlas in the third.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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