The Witr (Odd Number) Prayer

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam used to pray witr in many different ways. 

Sometimes he would pray witr as 1 rak’ah or 3,or 5, or 7, or 9 rak'aat or more. 

Many times the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam prayed Witr as THREE rak’aat. 

And there are different ways of doing that. 

a) Praying ALL the three rak’aat one after the other, WITHOUT sitting for tashahhud except in the last rak’ah. 

PROOF:

Our Mother Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa said:

“He used to pray Witr with three rak'ahs and he did not sit except in the last of them.” (al-Bayhaqi -Saheeh by al-Nawawi)

HOW TO PRAY IT?

Make your niyyah to pray three rak’aat of Witr in your heart. 

Read three rak’aat CONSECUTIVELY WITHOUT sitting for tashahhud in the second rak’ah. 

In other words, when you finish your second rak’ah, do NOT sit for Tashahhud; rather immediately stand up and pray the third rak’ah. 

Then after the third rak’ah, sit for tashahhud and continue normally until salaam. 

b)The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam also read three rak’aat of Witr by first praying two rak’aat separately and saying salaam. 

Then he would stand up and pray a single rak’ah after that, thus making it three. 

PROOF:

Ibn ‘Umar radhi Allaahu used to separate the two rak'ahs from the single rak'ah with a tasleem, and he said that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to do that.” (Ibn Hibbaan)

HOW TO PRAY IT?

Make your intention to pray three rak’aat of Witr, dividing it into two parts. 

For the first part, pray two rak’aat (also called 

“ash-Shaf’”, the “even” part of the Witr), and say Salaam and get out of prayer.

Then stand up right away with the intention to pray a single rak’ah, finishing the Witr. 

c) There is also a third way. And that’s to pray three rak’aat of witr as Maghrib. 

But that’s not the best way. 

And although, Witr read that way will be still VALID, it’s NOT the PREFERRED way to read Witr. 

That’s because if we pray three rak’aat of Witr with two rak’aat and then tashahhud and then stand up to pray the third rak’ah, that’s similar to praying Maghrib. 

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam actually SPECIFICALLY told us NOT to make our Witr similar to Maghrib. 

He Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Do not pray Witr with three rak’ahs that resemble Maghrib.” (al-Haakim, al-Bayhaqi and al-Daaraqutni- saheeh)

The ulama like Ibn Hajar explain:

“What he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam meant was that we should not sit to recite the first Tashahhud in a manner that resembles Maghrib.” 

(Fath al-Baari)

So even though reading Witr resembling Maghrib is VALID, it is DISLIKED. 

The first two ways are closest to the Sunnah and we should read our witr according to that so that it’s according to the instructions of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and thus, more likely to be accepted. 

And Allaah knows best.