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
Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers)
The voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and after the obligatory prayers.
Tawhid (God's Oneness)
Islamic monotheism — belief in Allah's absolute oneness, the core of prayer.
Arba'een (The 40th Day)
The 40th day after Imam Husayn's martyrdom, marked by the world's largest pilgrimage.
Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)
Total trust and reliance on Allah in all of life's matters.
Sahih Muslim (Muslim's Authentic Collection)
The second most authoritative hadith collection in Sunni Islam, compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj.
Raf' al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)
The practice of raising the hands to the shoulders or ears at specific points in the prayer.