What is Salatul Witr ?
Salah in odd Raka'at which is offered between Isha and Sehr time is called Salatul Witr. This Salah consists of odd number of Raka'at i.e. one, three, five and so on.
Is Salatul witr is Obligatory?
Salatul Witr is wajib (necessary).Strong emphasis has been laid on this Salah. Prophet ﷺ said, "Witr is a duty, so he who does not offer it is not my follower." (Abu Dawood)
Kharjah Ibn Huzafah R narrates that Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah the Exalted, has given you an extra Salah besides obligatory prayers and it is better for you than the red camels (high breed camel, very precious in Arabia). It is Witr, the time of which has been fixed by Allah between Isha and Sehr." (Tirmizi, Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Māja)
When to offer Salatul Witr ?
Ayesha R narrated that Prophet ﷺ offered Witr at different times of the night, in the first part of the night, in the middle of the night and at the end of the night too. However, in the last period of his life, he had fixed Sehr time for Witr. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Prophet ﷺ said, "If anyone sleeps without offering Witr, or forgets it, he should offer it whenever he remembers or after he wakes up". (Tirmizi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Māja)
How to pray Salatul Witr?
The method of Witr prayer is the same as that of Farz prayers. The only difference is that in Farz prayer, we recite Surah or Ayah after Suratul Fatiha in the first two Raka'at only. In Witr, however, we recite Surah in every Raka'āh upafter Suratul Fatiha. And when Witr is offered in congregation, the recitation of the Surah or Ayah is Jahri (when the imam recites the Quran aloud) in all Raka'at. In the event of three Raka'at of Witr as per Imám Abu Hanifa R all the three Raka'at are offered in combination.
However, as per Imam Shafa'ee R, two Raka'at and one Raka'ah are offered separately. According to Imam Shafa'ee R in normal days Dua Qunoot is not recited in the last Raka'at. It is recited in Fajr prayer only, although in the month of Ramadan from sixteenth till the end of the month, Dua Qunoot is recited Jahri in the last Raka'at of Witr.
According to Imam Abu Hanifa R in the last Raka'ah after reading Surah or Ayah, Takbeer Tahrima is made and then Dua Qunoot is read.
Dua-e-Qunoot as per Imam Shafaee R
Prophet recited different Dua (supplications) on different occasions. Any of them can be recited in Witr prayer. The grandson of Prophet ﷺ Hasan R said that Prophet ﷺ made him learn the following Dua for Witr prayer.
According to Imam Shafa'ee R the same Dua is recited in Fajr prayer in common days after rising from Ruku and during the month of Ramadan from sixteenth till the end of the month in Witr prayer. The wording of Dua is:
اَللّهُمَّ اهْدِنِىْ فِيْمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنِى فِيْمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنِىْ فِيْمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لِىْ فِيْمَا اَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنِيْ شَرَّمَا قََضَيْتَ ،فَاِ نَّكَ تَقْضِىْ وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَاِ نَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ وَلاَ يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلَى مَا قَضَيْتَ وَاَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَاَتُوْبُ اِلَيْكَ وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ اْلاُمِّيِّ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ
"O Allah! guide me among those You have guided, grant me security among those You have granted security, take me under Your protection among those You have taken under Your protection, bless me with what You have given. guard me from the evil of what You have decreed; for You alone decree, and nothing is decreed against You. Verily, he whom You befriend is not humbled and he whom You are inimical cannot be honoured. O our Lord (Sustainer)! Blessed and Exalted You are. Then all the praise is for You for the judgement You gave. I seek forgiveness from You and I repent before You. And the benediction of Allah is upon our Prophet Muhammad, his Household and his Companions."
Dua-e-Qunoot as per Imam Abu Hanifa R
اَللَّهُمَّ إنا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَنُثْنِئْ عَلَيْكَ الخَيْرَ وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ ئَّفْجُرُكَ اَللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَلَكَ نُصَلِّئ وَنَسْجُدُ وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعأئ وَنَحْفِدُ وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشآئ عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالكُفَّارِ مُلْحَقٌ
"O Allah! We seek Your help and Your forgiveness and believe in You and we trust in You and praise You for all good. We thank You and we are not ungrateful to you and we reject and abandon all who disobey You. O Allah! You alone we worship and we offer Salah and prostrate only before You. We strive and struggle in Your Way. We are hopeful of Your mercy and fear Your harsh punishment. Certainly Your punishment will encircle the Kuffar."
Read in Hindi and Roman English - Witr ki dua
According to Imam Shafa'ee R this supplication is read along with Dua Qunoot of Fajr in common days. During the month of Ramadan it is recited from sixteenth till the end of the month in Witr prayer.
Which Surah better to recite in Salatul Witr ?
Prophet ﷺ generally recited Suratul Aa'la in the first Raka'ah, Suratul Kafiroon in the second and Suratul Ikhlas in the third". (Abu Dawood, Tirmizi, Nasa'ee)
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Allah and his messenger knows best