The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Night prayer is offered as two rak`at followed by two rak`at and so on, and if you want to finish it, pray only one rak`a which will be witr for all the previous rak`at." Al-Qasim said, "Since we attained the age of puberty we have seen some people offering a three-rak`at prayer as witr and all that is permissible. I hope there will be no harm in it."
The Excellence of Witr Prayer
The Witr prayer holds a distinguished position in Islamic worship, being described by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as a confirmed sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) that he never abandoned, even during travel. It represents the seal of the night prayers and carries immense spiritual merit.
Methodology of Night Prayer
The Prophet's instruction to pray "two rak'at followed by two rak'at" establishes the fundamental pattern for voluntary night prayers. This method allows the worshipper to maintain consistency and avoid fatigue while engaging in prolonged devotion. Each pair of rak'at concludes with the tasleem (salutation), making them complete units of worship.
The wisdom behind this approach lies in making the prayer manageable and sustainable, preventing the worshipper from becoming overwhelmed by the thought of lengthy continuous prayer sessions.
The Concluding Witr Rak'ah
The singular rak'ah of Witr serves as the concluding unit that "ties together" all preceding night prayers. This final odd-numbered rak'ah distinguishes Witr from other prayers and fulfills the Prophetic command to end night worship with an odd number. The term "Witr" itself means "odd," emphasizing this unique characteristic.
This single rak'ah, when performed after pairs of night prayers, acquires the reward and status of Witr for the entire night's devotion, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of Islamic worship where intention transforms action.
Flexibility in Performance
Al-Qasim's commentary reveals the development of scholarly understanding regarding Witr's performance. While the basic unit is one rak'ah, the practice of praying three rak'at as Witr became widely accepted among the companions and successors.
This flexibility exemplifies the principle of ease in Islamic jurisprudence, where multiple valid methods exist for performing acts of worship. The three-rak'ah method may be performed with one tasleem (as a continuous unit) or with two tasleems (two rak'at followed by one rak'ah), both being permissible according to different schools of thought.
Scholarly Consensus
The permissibility of various methods for performing Witr reflects the broad-minded approach of Islamic law. Scholars from all major schools—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali—agree on the validity of both single and multiple-rak'ah formats for Witr, while differing on preferred methods.
This diversity within unity demonstrates the comprehensive nature of Islamic worship, accommodating different circumstances and capabilities while maintaining the core objective of drawing closer to Allah through voluntary night prayer.