Witr (Odd-Numbered Prayer)
A strongly recommended prayer with an odd number of rak'ah, prayed after Isha.
Witr (Arabic: وتر) means "odd" and is a prayer performed with an odd number of rak'ah (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9), typically after the Isha prayer and before Fajr. Witr is strongly recommended (wajib according to the Hanafi school) and was a prayer that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never omitted.
The most common form is three rak'ah, either prayed as a continuous three rak'ah or as two rak'ah followed by one. In the last rak'ah of Witr, the Qunut supplication (a special du'a) is typically recited after ruku.
The Prophet said: "Allah is Witr (One) and He loves Witr. So pray Witr, O followers of the Quran." Witr is the last prayer one prays at night — if one plans to pray Tahajjud, one should postpone Witr until after Tahajjud.
Related terms
Makruh (Discouraged)
Actions that are discouraged in Islamic law but not forbidden.
Karbala (Imam Husayn's City)
The sacred city in Iraq where Imam Husayn was martyred, and home of the turbah.
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Maghrib (Sunset Prayer)
The fourth daily prayer, performed just after sunset.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Taqwa (God-Consciousness)
God-consciousness and piety — the ultimate goal of prayer and worship.