Let me explain how this works in practice.
What is Witr?
Witr (meaning "odd number") is the prayer that concludes the night prayers. The Prophet ﷺ consistently prayed it and encouraged his companions to do so. It can be 1, 3, 5, 7, or more rak'ahs, but the most common is 3 rak'ahs.
When to pray it?
The Witr is prayed after the Isha prayer and before Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ prayed it at different times of the night — sometimes at the beginning, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes at the end:
> "At every part of the night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Witr: at its beginning, middle, and end. Finally he settled on performing Witr just before dawn." [Sahih Muslim, source 6]
How to pray the 3 rak'ahs?
There are two ways the scholars mention:
1. Three consecutive rak'ahs with one tashahhud — you pray 3 rak'ahs continuously and sit for tashahhud only at the end (in the third rak'ah), then give salam.
2. Two rak'ahs, then salam, then one rak'ah — you pray 2 rak'ahs, give salam, then pray 1 separate rak'ah. This is also valid and is supported by the practice of praying Witr as separate units.
Which surahs to recite?
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite specific surahs in the Witr prayer:
> "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite during the Witr prayer: [Al-A'la], [Al-Kafirun], [Al-Ikhlas]..." [Dua: Invocation after the salam of the Witr prayer, source 1]
So a common practice is:
- 1st rak'ah: Surah Al-A'la (after Al-Fatiha)
- 2nd rak'ah: Surah Al-Kafirun
- 3rd rak'ah: Surah Al-Ikhlas
The Qunoot supplication
In the third rak'ah, before or after rukoo', it is recommended to recite the Qunoot dua:
> "O Allah, guide me along with those whom You have guided, pardon me along with those whom You have pardoned, be an ally to me along with those whom You are an ally to..." [Dua: Qunoot Al-Witr, source 9]
After the salam
After finishing, the Prophet ﷺ would say three times:
> "Subhana al-Malik al-Quddus" (How perfect The King, The Holy One is) — and on the third time he would raise his voice and add: "Rabbi al-mala'ikati wa al-ruh" (Lord of the angels and the Ruh). [Dua: Invocation after the salam of the Witr prayer, source 1]
A practical tip
If you fear you won't wake up for the last part of the night, pray Witr right after Isha before sleeping. If you're confident you'll wake up before Fajr, delay it to the end of the night, as the Prophet ﷺ said:
> "Whoever fears he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night; and whoever hopes to wake up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night. Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better." [Sahih Muslim, source 8]
You can find the Qunoot dua and the post-Witr remembrance in the Invocations section of your Al Muslim Plus app, and use the Prayer Times feature to know exactly when Isha and Fajr begin so you can plan your Witr accordingly.