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Salah (Prayers)
Wajib (Almost Obligatory) Prayers
Witr: Last Prayer of the Night

Overview

Witr (Arabic: وتر‎) is performed at night after Isha'a and before Fajr. There are a few distinguishing factors of the witr prayer that sets it apart from the fard (mandatory) and sunnah (recommended) prayers. Witr has an odd number of rakat prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separately.

Importance

It is reported that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him rarely missed his Witr prayers.

Time

Witr can be prayed after Isha or Tahajjud. It should be the last prayer for that day, so it is usually prayed just before sleeping.

Number of Rakahs

• Minimum is 3 rakah and maximum is 11.

Sequence of Witr Prayer

After finishing all prayers of the day, Witr is offered with the Du'a Qunut, a supplication to be read on the last rakah, after Ruku.

Du'a Qunut

اللَّهُمَ اِنَّا نَسْتَعِيْنُكَ، وَ نَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَ نؤمِنُ بِكَ، وَ نَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَ نُثْنِيْ عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ وَ نَشْكُرُكَ وَ لا نَكْفُرُكَ وَ نَخُلَعُ وَ نَتْرُكُ مَنْ يّفْجُرُكَ. اللَّهُمَّ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ نَرْجُوْا رَحْمَتَكَ وَ نَخْشى عَذَابَكَ اِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحِقٌ

Allahumma inna nasta'inuka wa nastaghfiruka, wa nu'minu bika, wa natawwakkalu alayika, wa nusni alayikal khaira, wa nashkuruka wa la nakforuka wa nakhla'u wa natruku manyafjoruk. Allahumma iyyaka na'budu wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu wa ilayika nasa wa nahfidu, wa narju Rahmataka wa nakhsha 'adhzabaka; inna adhabaka al-jidda bi al-kuffari mulhiq

O Allah! We seek Your assistance and ask for Your guidance, and we beseech Your forgiveness and return to You in repentance. We cherish faith in You and place our trust in You. We attribute all goodness to You. We are grateful to You and refuse to be ungrateful to You. We abandon and forsake all those who reject You. O Allah, You alone we worship, unto You alone we pray; unto You alone we prostrate, and for You alone we strive. Unto You alone we flee for refuge. We cherish hope in Your mercy and we fear Your retribution. Verily, Your punishment is bound to catch up with those who reject the truth.

abu Dawud, ibn Majah, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, ad-Darimi, al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْت، وَعَافِنِي فِيِمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، إنَّهُ لا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، [َوَلا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ]، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَ تَعَالَيْتَ

Allahumm-ahdinii fiman hadait, wa 'afini fiman 'aafait, wa tawallani fiman tawwallait, wa barik li fima a'atait, wa qini sharra ma qadaiyta, fainnaka taqdhi wa la yuqdha 'alaika, innahu la yadhillu man walaiyt, [wa la yai'izzu man 'aadait] tabarakta Rabbana wa ta'aalaita

O Allah! Guide me with those whom You have Guided, and strengthen me with those whom You have given strength, take me to Your care with those whom You have taken to Your care, Bless me in what You have given me, Proptect me from the evil You have Ordained. Surely You Command and are not commanded, and non whom You have committed to Your care shall be humiliated [and non whom You have Taken as an enemy shall taste glory]. You are Blessed, our Lord, and Exhalted. abu Dawud, ibn Majah, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِرِ ضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَأعُوذُبِكَ مِنْكَ، لا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أنْتَ كَمَا أثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ

Allahumma inni a'udhubika bi ridhaaka min sakhatika, wa bi mu'aa-faatika min 'uqubatika, wa a'udhubika minka, la uhsi thana'an 'alaika, anta Kama athnayta 'ala nafsika

O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Pleasure from Your Anger. I seek refuge in Your Forgiveness from Your Punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot count Your Praises, You are as You have Praised Yourself.

Other facts

• Usually combined with the Tahhajd prayer.

• Has to be the last prayer of the day.

Hadith quotes

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said, "The night prayer is offered as two rakat followed by two rakat and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (fajr prayer) he should pray one raka'ah and this will be a witr for all the rakat which he has prayed before."Narrated by Ibn Umar

Sources

Wikipedia - www.wikipedia.org

Mutmainaa - /www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/prayer/qunut.html


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