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
Sujud al-Sahw (Prostration of Forgetfulness)
Two extra prostrations performed to compensate for errors in prayer.
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Du'a Tawassul (Supplication of Intercession)
A supplication where one asks Allah through the intercession of the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt.
Salat al-Ghufaylah (Prayer Between Maghrib and Isha)
A specially recommended prayer prayed between Maghrib and Isha in Shia Islam.
Tasbihat al-Zahra (Fatimah's Tasbih)
A special dhikr consisting of 34+33+33 repetitions, taught by the Prophet to his daughter Fatimah.
Sunan Abu Dawud (Abu Dawud's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with a special focus on legal narrations.