Offering the Witr prayer after the 'Isha' prayer

The questioner : You have forbidden combining the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers. Is it permissible to offer the Witr prayer before the time of 'Isha', or is it obligatory to delay it?

The Shaykh : Of course, when you say "before the time of 'Isha'," you mean after the 'Isha' prayer, combined. Of course, it is permissible, as long as the obligatory prayer has been offered, the voluntary prayer is even more entitled to be offered. Knowing that delaying the Witr prayer consistently, as a rule, to the end of the night is better, and this is well known to you. But offering it early, meaning after the 'Isha' prayer in the time of 'Isha', is permissible; a person may pray it immediately after the Sunnah of Witr, although delaying it is better. The preference remains continuous in the case of combining, just as following the obligatory prayer with the 'Isha' prayer by performing Witr with it remains permissible, even if it is offered early.