Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr - Sunan Abi Dawud 1438

"Make the last of your prayer at night a witr."

Commentary on the Hadith

This noble hadith establishes the witr prayer as the concluding act of one's nightly worship. The wisdom behind this injunction is that it seals the night's devotions with an odd-numbered prayer, which is beloved to Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized ending one's nightly prayers with witr as a protection and completion of worship.

Scholars explain that this instruction applies whether one prays during the first, middle, or last part of the night. The witr serves as a spiritual seal, much like the seal on a document, giving completeness to one's nightly devotion. It is recommended to make this the final prayer before sleeping, though those who pray tahajjud may delay their witr until the end of the night.

The wisdom of concluding with an odd number reflects the divine perfection in odd numbers, as mentioned in another hadith: "Allah is witr (odd) and loves the witr." Thus, by ending our nightly worship with an odd-numbered prayer, we align our worship with what Allah loves and complete our service in the most perfect manner.

Legal Ruling and Implementation

The majority of scholars consider witr prayer to be a confirmed sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah), not obligatory but strongly recommended. One who omits it regularly is considered to have abandoned an important practice of the Prophet.

The minimum witr consists of one rak'ah, while the maximum is eleven. The most common practice is three rak'ats, which may be prayed with one salutation at the end or with two salutations (praying two rak'ats then one rak'ah separately). The essential matter is that the total number remains odd.

If one fears missing witr due to sleep or other reasons, it is permissible to pray it early in the night. However, the optimal time is the last third of the night, coinciding with the time when Allah descends to the lowest heaven and asks who is seeking forgiveness.