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Plus, learn why the witr is important even though it's not mandatory
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The Witr is an Islamic prayer that religious Muslims recite at nighttime after the last mandatory prayer of the day, Isha. Unlike Isha and the other 5 daily prayers, the Witr is not obligatory but is highly recommended and an important part of practicing Islamic faith. This article will explain how to perform the Witr , including how many rak'ahs you should do and the best time of day for it . Plus, we'll explore why the Witr is important , with meaningful prayer insights from Islamic faith expert, Mekaeel Mohsin.
How to Pray Witr with 1 Rak'ah
Begin the Witr by silently stating your niyyah , or intention while praying. Stand up with your hands next to your ears and say, "Allahu Ackbar." Perform 1 rak'ah , a unit of prayer in which you transition between standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. End the rak'ah by saying the tasleem , a concluding prayer.
Steps
Section 1 of 7:
How to Perform Witr
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Silently state your intention ( niyyah ) to pray Witr. Niyyah is an important concept in Islam. It's your intention that by performing this prayer, you'll draw closer to Allah and please Him. Having your niyyah in your mind will help you concentrate on all parts of the Witr with the proper respect and devotion. [1] X Research source
- When praying the Witr (and whenever you pray in Islam ), men should wear pants that go all the way down to their ankles. Women should wear clothes that cover their entire body except for their face and hands.
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Recite the words "Allahu Akbar" with your hands next to your ears. "Allahu Akbar" means "Allah is greater." Muslims say this phrase at the beginning of the Witr prayer to remind themselves Allah is greater – and therefore more important – than anything else going on. Along with the niyyah , it helps them enter the right frame of mind for worship. [2] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Perform at least one prayer unit or rak’ah during Witr. A rak'ah is a unit of prayer and an essential part of any Islamic prayer session. During a typical rak'ah , the person praying stands for a while, then bows down (in a movement called the ruku ), straightens back up, then prostrates themselves fully on the ground (in a movement called the sujud ). [3] X Research source
- Start in a standing position. Place your hands over your navel and cover your left hand with your right hand.
- Look at the floor and say, "How perfect you are, O Allah. I praise you. How blessed is Your name. How lofty is Your position. And none has the right to be worshipped but You."
- Say, "‘I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan (devil)," then recite the Surah Fatihah, the first chapter of the Qu'ran.
- "In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master on the Day of Recompense (Judgement Day). You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help. Guide us on the straight path, the path of those who You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray."
- Perform the ruku position by bending at the waist with your back straight, resting your hands on your knees, and gazing at the floor. Recite, "How perfect is my Lord, the Magnificent" 3 times.
- Straighten back into a standing position, raise your hands up next to your ears, and say, "Allah hears those who praise him." Then lower your hands to your waist and say, "Our Lord, to You is all praise."
- Prostrate yourself in the sujud position. Lower yourself to your knees and kneel forward until your forehead, nose, palms, knees, and big toes are on the ground. While in sujud , say, "How perfect is my Lord, the Most High" 3 times.
- Raise yourself into a sitting position while saying, "Allahu Ackbar." Sit on your left leg and place your hands on your knees. Then ask Allah for forgiveness in your own words or by reciting a dua , an Islamic prayer of supplication (i.e., asking Allah for help), like, "O my Lord, forgive me."
- Return to the sujud position and repeat the phrase, "How perfect is my Lord, the Most High" 3 more times.
- Stand up and say "Allahu Ackbar." You've now reached the end of the rak'ah!
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Say the tasleem to give peace and conclude the Witr. Sit down and turn your head to the right shoulder, then say, "May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you (" Assalaamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah "). Then turn your head to the left and repeat the same phrase. You have now completed the peace offering upon the recording angels in heaven and your fellow Muslims.
- If you perform more than 1 rak'ah during your Witr (which we explain how to do below ), you'll still recite the tasleem at the end of all the rak'ahs in most cases. The only exception is in one of the variations of the 3 rak'ah Witr and the 11 rak'ah Witr.
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Section 2 of 7:
Performing Rak'ah's During Witr
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Perform more than 1 rak’ah during your Witr prayer (optional). You're only obligated to include 1 rak'ah in your Witr, but many Muslims find it more fulfilling to perform 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 rak’ah in total. Below is a brief guide to performing each number of rak'ah and which prayers to say between and after each prayer unit.: [4] X Research source
- 3 rak’ah
Witr prayer. Here are 2 options for performing the 3 rak’ahs
during the Witr.
- Option 1 : Pray 3 rak’ah in a row, then offer 2 final prayers called tashahhud and tasleem . The tashahhud is a declaration of faith while tasleem is the proper conclusion of any prayer, not just the Witr.
- Option 2 : Say the tashahhud and tasleem after performing two rak’ah, then again after praying the final rak’ah .
- 5 or 7 rak’ah of Witr. If you want to perform a 5 or 7 rak’ah Witr, perform the rak’ah in succession, then offer one tashahhud and say the tasleem at the end.
- 9 rak’ah Witr. Perform 7 rak’ah one after another without breaking. After the 8th rak’ah , perform the tashahhud . In the 9th rak’ah, offer the final tashahhud and say tasleem afterward.
- 11 rak’ah Witr. Say tasleem after every 2 rak’ah and leave out the tashahhud .
- 3 rak’ah
Witr prayer. Here are 2 options for performing the 3 rak’ahs
during the Witr.
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Offer the tashahhud after every second rak'ah. As we mentioned earlier in the article, tashahhud is a declaration of faith Muslims make during prayer. To perform it, sit down with your legs tucked under you after you perform a second sujud. Rest your hands on your thighs close to your knees, then point your right index finger skyward and recite the words below: [5] X Research source
- "All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger."
- If you just finished praying the last rak'ah in the Witr, add these words to the end of the tashahhud
:
- "O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family (or followers) of Muhammad, just as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family (or followers) of Ibrahim. Verily, you are full of Praise and Majesty. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family (or followers) of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family (or followers) of Ibraaheem. Verily, you are full of Praise and Majesty."
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Recite the Dua Qunoot during the last rak'ah of the Witr. The Dua Qunoot is a special supplication for forgiveness recorded in one of the Prophet Muhammad's hadith (recorded sayings). Many Muslims prefer to recite this in the final rak'ah of their Witr prayer, while they're sitting before performing their last sujud . Below is one translation of Dua Qunoot: [6] X Research source
- "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 that You decreed. Indeed You decree, and none can pass decree, and none can pass decree upon You, indeed he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, blessed are You our Lord and Exalted."
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I perform qadha salah?SobiTop AnswererThe Prophet said, “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that.” You pray the prayer how you normally would. Remember that by making the prayer up, you are not completely sin-free because you have delayed the prayer, so you must still repent and do good deeds to make up for the sin.
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QuestionIn the last rakaat of the witr salaat, can you raise your hand in the dua position when reading dua kunoot? And is there any report of how Rasulollah (sas) performs the witr salaat?SobiTop AnswererYes, it is sunnah to raise the hands while reciting the qunoot. Raising the hands is mentioned in a saheeh report from ‘Umar, as was narrated by al-Bayhaqi.
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QuestionWhat is dua qunoot?SobiTop AnswererDua Qunoot is the du'a read in the final rak'ah of witr. In the final rak'ah after reading Surah Fatiha and a surah, you do not need to read Surah Fatiha or another surah again. You just recite Dua Qunoot. If you don't know that, you should read any du'a from the Qur'an.
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Tips
- You must perform a minimum of 1 rak'ah per Witr, but it's recommended to perform as many as 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11!Thanks
- Different people recite the Witr in different ways, but all variations of the prayer are acceptable. Find one that speaks to you and follow it!Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://al-islam.org/radiance-secrets-prayer-muhsin-qaraati/intention-niyyah
- ↑ https://www.mymasjid.ca/beginners-guide-learn-pray-salah/chapter-4/
- ↑ https://www.mymasjid.ca/beginners-guide-learn-pray-salah/chapter-4
- ↑ https://www.islamestic.com/how-to-pray-witr-salahnamaz-according-to-authentic-hadiths/
- ↑ https://www.mymasjid.ca/beginners-guide-learn-pray-salah/chapter-4
- ↑ https://www.islamestic.com/how-to-pray-witr-salahnamaz-according-to-authentic-hadiths/
- ↑ https://myislam.org/how-to-perform-witr-prayer/
- ↑ https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793/is-witr-compulsory
- ↑ https://sparbd.org/benefits-of-witr-prayer
- ↑ https://sparbd.org/benefits-of-witr-prayer
- ↑ https://sparbd.org/benefits-of-witr-prayer
- ↑ https://sparbd.org/benefits-of-witr-prayer
- ↑ https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793/is-witr-compulsory
- ↑ https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793/is-witr-compulsory
- ↑ https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793/is-witr-compulsory
About This Article
Article Summary
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To perform Witr prayer, start by silently stating your intention to pray. Then, bow forward, prostate, sit, and prostrate again to complete one rak'ah. You can end your prayer after 1 rak'ah, or you can pray up to 11 rak'ah, as long as you're praying an odd number. If you pray more than 1 rak'ah, you'll also want to offer the tashahhud and say the tasleem. To learn how to offer the tashahhud and say the tasleem, keep reading!
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- "I liked this article because I used to pray witr in a different way. I used to sit down for tahasshud after 2nd rakah, and in 3rd rakah I used to read dua-e-Qunut with a Takbeer before rukuu. Someone told me that this is the wrong way. May Allah SWT guide us the right path. Ameen Thank you." ..." more
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"I liked this article because I used to pray witr in a different way. I used to sit down for tahasshud after 2nd rakah, and in 3rd rakah I used to read dua-e-Qunut with a Takbeer before rukuu. Someone told me that this is the wrong way. May Allah SWT guide us the right path. Ameen Thank you."
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