Guide
Witr: The Night's Closing Prayer
Witr means "odd," and it is the prayer that closes the night's worship with an odd number of units. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed it consistently and encouraged it strongly, telling believers to "make Witr the last of your prayer at night." It sits just outside the five obligatory prayers but is one of the most emphasised of all voluntary prayers.
When it is prayed
The window for Witr opens after the Isha prayer and closes at true dawn (the start of Fajr). It can be prayed any time in that span, but the last third of the night is considered best. Those who fear they will not wake are advised to pray it before sleeping; those confident of waking are encouraged to delay it to the night's end.
How many units
Witr is always an odd number of rak'ahs — one, three, five, seven, nine or eleven. The minimum is a single unit, and three is the most common. It is often prayed by first offering an even number of voluntary units and then closing with a single unit, making the total odd.
Its status in the schools
Most schools of law classify Witr as a strongly emphasised Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah). The Hanafi school treats it as wajib (obligatory in a near-binding sense). This difference is long-standing and each position is well grounded; in practice, every school agrees it should not be neglected.
The supplication of Qunut
Many worshippers add a short supplication called Qunut within Witr, raising the hands to ask God for guidance, protection and forgiveness. Its exact placement and wording vary between schools and regions, all of which are accepted.