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
Amr bil-Ma'ruf wa Nahy 'an al-Munkar
Enjoining good and forbidding evil — an Islamic duty connected with prayer.
Muwalat (Continuity in Prayer)
The requirement of continuous and coherent performance of the prayer's parts.
Du'a al-Faraj (The Supplication of Deliverance)
A short, powerful supplication for Imam al-Mahdi's appearance and deliverance from suffering.
Bismillah (In the Name of Allah)
The formula "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," which opens prayer and action.
Takbir (Allahu Akbar)
The exclamation "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest), marking transitions in the prayer.
Tarawih (Ramadan Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in congregation during Ramadan.