What is prescribed and what is best regarding the number of rak'ahs in the witr prayer?

Question:
The questioner from the Arab Republic of Egypt says: I, praise be to Allah, pray four rak'ahs of the night prayer before I sleep, and then I pray two rak'ahs as shaf' and one rak'ah as witr. Is there anything in this that is not prescribed, especially regarding the witr rak'ah? Because in our country, most people pray the witr prayer as a single rak'ah?
Please advise us, O Shaykh.

Answer:
The matter in this is broad. Whether you pray at the beginning of the night, in the middle of the night, or at the end of the night, it is all good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did all of this. He would pray witr at the beginning of the night, he would pray witr in the middle of it, and he would pray witr at the end of it, and his witr settled in the late night (peace and blessings be upon him).
You may pray witr with three, or one, or five, or seven, or nine, or eleven, or thirteen, but you should say the taslim after every two. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning: two by two. If you pray witr with a single rak'ah, that is the best. If you pray three consecutively without sitting except in the third, there is no harm, but witr with a single rak'ah is better. You pray every two separately, then you pray witr with one, whether in the middle of the night, or at the end of it, or at the beginning of it. And if you pray some of the tahajjud at the beginning and some of the tahajjud at the end, it is all good and there is no harm with it, and praise be to Allah.

The presenter: Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.