What is the preferred time for the witr prayer?

This is a message from the listener Nisim Ahmad Haggi from Bahrain, who says: Is it permissible to delay the shaf' and witr prayers until the time of standing in night prayer, by praying the night prayer and then concluding it with the shaf' and witr, or is it obligatory to perform them before sleeping? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: The believing man and woman have a choice; whoever wishes may pray witr at the beginning of the night, and whoever wishes may pray witr at the end of the night. The preferred time is the end of the night for those for whom it is facilitated. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
So if it is facilitated for the believing man or woman to pray witr and perform tahajjud at the end of the night, that is better; because that is the time of the divine descent and the time of the acceptance of supplication. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: And in the other wording, He says, Glorified and Exalted is He: This great hadith is mass-transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This descent is befitting for Allah; He does not resemble His creation in any of His attributes, Glorified and Exalted is He. So it is a descent that is befitting for Allah, not asking how it is, and not comparing Allah to creation, just as His rising above His Throne, and His hearing, and His seeing, and His anger, and His pleasure, and the like of that, all of them are attributes that are befitting for Allah, in which He does not resemble His creation (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is what the people of the Sunnah and the community said: It is obligatory to affirm the attributes for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and to pass them over as they came in the great Book and in the purified, authentic Sunnah, in the manner befitting Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as He said (Exalted is He): [Surat al-Shura: 11] ... [Surat al-Ikhlas: 4].
So if it is facilitated for the believing man or woman to perform tahajjud at the end of the night, and seek forgiveness and supplication, and then conclude his prayer with witr of one rak'ah, this is the best. The Sunnah is that it be one only, the last one, performed alone with one taslim. In it, one recites Surat al-Fatihah and , then bows, then raises his head and recites the prescribed qunut if it is facilitated for him. This is the Sunnah. And if he recites three rak'ahs all together and prays witr with three all together, reciting them in a row with one taslim and one sitting, there is no harm. And if he recites five, there is no harm with one sitting and one taslim, there is no harm. But the best is two by two, he says taslim from every two, and prays witr with one; because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): So this is the Sunnah.
As for if he fears that he will not get up from the end of the night; then the best is to pray witr at the beginning of the night. He prays what is facilitated from the beginning of the night, then prays witr with one. He prays four, or six, or eight, or more, then prays witr with one before he sleeps. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.