Tell us about the witr prayer, its conditions, its minimum number of rak'ahs, and its maximum number?
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The questioner : Tell us about the witr prayer, its conditions, its minimum number of rak'ahs, and its maximum number? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The witr prayer is a confirmed sunnah, and it is not permissible for a person to leave it. In fact, some scholars said it is obligatory and not permissible to leave it. It was reported from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said regarding the one who leaves the witr: "He is a bad man, and his testimony should not be accepted".
Its minimum is one rak'ah before the dawn, and its maximum is eleven rak'ahs. So if one prays witr with one rak'ah, his affair is clear: he prays one rak'ah, recites the tashahhud, and says the taslim, and he is done.
And if one prays witr with three rak'ahs, he has the choice: if he wishes, he says the taslim after the two rak'ahs, and if he wishes, he prays the three all together with one tashahhud.
And if one prays witr with five, he prays the five all together with one tashahhud.
And if one prays witr with seven, it is the same.
And if one prays witr with nine, he sits after the eighth, recites the tashahhud, and does not say the taslim, then he comes to the ninth, recites the tashahhud, and says the taslim.
And if one prays witr with eleven rak'ahs, he says the taslim after every two rak'ahs.
The time for the witr prayer is after the 'Isha' prayer and its sunnah, if he intends to pray the sunnah, until the dawn breaks.
And the last part of the night is better for the one who hopes to get up in the last part of the night; otherwise, he prays witr before he sleeps. It is recommended that he say after the taslim: three times, and he raises his voice in the third. Let his last prayer be his last prayer of the night, his last prayer of the night, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 751b.
But the one who fears that he will not get up in the last part of the night, and he prays witr in the first part of the night, and then it is decreed for him that he gets up, he does not repeat the witr, but he prays two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, until the dawn breaks.
The Shaykh : The witr prayer is a confirmed sunnah, and it is not permissible for a person to leave it. In fact, some scholars said it is obligatory and not permissible to leave it. It was reported from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said regarding the one who leaves the witr: "He is a bad man, and his testimony should not be accepted".
Its minimum is one rak'ah before the dawn, and its maximum is eleven rak'ahs. So if one prays witr with one rak'ah, his affair is clear: he prays one rak'ah, recites the tashahhud, and says the taslim, and he is done.
And if one prays witr with three rak'ahs, he has the choice: if he wishes, he says the taslim after the two rak'ahs, and if he wishes, he prays the three all together with one tashahhud.
And if one prays witr with five, he prays the five all together with one tashahhud.
And if one prays witr with seven, it is the same.
And if one prays witr with nine, he sits after the eighth, recites the tashahhud, and does not say the taslim, then he comes to the ninth, recites the tashahhud, and says the taslim.
And if one prays witr with eleven rak'ahs, he says the taslim after every two rak'ahs.
The time for the witr prayer is after the 'Isha' prayer and its sunnah, if he intends to pray the sunnah, until the dawn breaks.
And the last part of the night is better for the one who hopes to get up in the last part of the night; otherwise, he prays witr before he sleeps. It is recommended that he say after the taslim:
Glory be to the King, the Pure
سبحان الملك القدوسMake Witr the end of your night prayer.
اجعلوا آخر صلاتكم بالليل وتراًBut the one who fears that he will not get up in the last part of the night, and he prays witr in the first part of the night, and then it is decreed for him that he gets up, he does not repeat the witr, but he prays two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, until the dawn breaks.