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
Ramadan (The Month of Fasting)
The holy month of fasting, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ihsan (Excellence)
The highest level of worship: to worship Allah as if one can see Him.
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Sahih Muslim (Muslim's Authentic Collection)
The second most authoritative hadith collection in Sunni Islam, compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj.
Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque)
The holiest mosque in Islam, located in Mecca, which surrounds the Kaaba.
Makruh (Discouraged)
Actions that are discouraged in Islamic law but not forbidden.