Witr is an Islamic prayer that is said at night. Unlike the five daily prayers, it is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended, because it represents an important part of the Islamic faith, alongside fasting and the five canonical prayers. There are several options for reciting the Witr: you can choose from one rak'a (unit of prayer) or eleven, as well as various ways to perform it. The Witr can be prayed in the evening, after the Isha 'prayer and before going to bed, or at the end of the night, just before dawn. Regardless of how you choose to pray the Witr, it is important to sincerely state your intentions and perform it regularly.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Make sure you are ready to pray
Step 1. Recognize the meaning of the Witr prayer
The Witr is the concluding prayer of the day and consists of an odd number of rak'at or prayer units; like fasting and canonical prayers, it is one of the most important components of the Islamic faith.
Determine how to pray Witr. The Prophet allowed to choose how to pray the Witr at night, including deciding how many units of prayer or rak'at to recite and at what time
Step 2. Choose a time to pray Witr each day
Find a time that can fit your schedule and that falls within the time frame established for this prayer, that is, between Isha ', the last obligatory prayer of the day, and dawn; if you think you can wake up before dawn, you can do it and pray, but if you are afraid you won't be able to do the Witr before going to sleep.
Reserve time for the Witr as you travel. The Prophet prayed Witr even when he was traveling, so you should too
Step 3. Determine how many rak'at to perform
The minimum number of rak'at for the Witr is one, so you must perform at least one; you can choose to do more, but only in odd numbers, such as three, five, seven or nine.
Step 4. Make sure you have the time and space to pray Witr
You will need a place to pray at night, so make sure you have it, especially if you are traveling or at someone else's home; likewise, make sure you have enough time. Since there are several options as to how many rak'at to recite, you should be able to pray Witr while traveling.
- If you are a college student, there should be prayer rooms on college campuses - contact student associations or the administration for more information.
- Make sure you have a clean place to pray.
Step 5. Put on the proper clothing
Men should wear pants that cover the legs to the ankles, while women should cover the whole body except the face and hands.
- For example, men can wear loose-fitting cotton trousers.
- Women can wear long sleeved dresses.
Part 2 of 2: Performing the Witr Prayer
Step 1. Express within yourself your intention to pray the Witr
State how many rak'at you intend to perform in prayer. It is important to have good intentions and to pray to please God.
Step 2. Learn to perform a Witr prayer unit or rak'a
Begin standing upright, then lean forward and prostrate, finally sit down and prostrate: this is how a Witr rak'a is performed.
- The standing prayer begins. Keep your hands on your chest and grab your left hand with your right.
- To bow: lean forward and place your hands on your knees, keeping your back straight and then softly recite a verse of praise, such as "Subhana Rabbi l-Azim", that is, "Glory to the High Lord".
- For prostration: place your hands on the ground, being careful not to touch the floor with your elbows, then prostrate until your forehead is resting on the ground; in this position, he recites a prayer, such as "Subhana Rabbi l-Azim", that is, "Glory to the High Lord".
Step 3. Learn to offer the tashahhud
Place your hands on your thighs, near your knees. Keep your right hand closed with your thumb and middle finger touching to form a circle and your index finger pointing towards the qibla, then recite the tashahhud to bear witness to God and his servant Mohammed.
Step 4. Learn to say taslim as a peace offering
Sit down and, with your head facing your right shoulder, say: "Al-Salam alaykum wa rahmatu 'llahi", then turn your head to the left and repeat the same formula to complete the peace offering or taslim.
Step 5. Perform an odd number of rak'at for the Witr
You can choose to perform one, three, five, seven, nine or eleven units of prayer or rak'at; for example, you can follow one of the following models:
- Pray Witr from a rak'a to perform the Sunna.
- Pray the three rak'at Witr. There are two options in this case: in the first the three rak'at are performed in succession and ends with the offering of the tashahhud, which is the profession of faith; in the second, instead, the taslim is recited after the first two rak'at and then the last one is performed.
- Pray the five or seven rak'at Witr. In this case, the rak'at are performed in succession, then the tashahhud is offered and finally the taslim.
- Pray the nine rak'at Witr. Perform all the rak'at one after the other and, when you complete the octave, recite the tashahhud; offer the final tashahhud to the ninth rak'a and conclude with the taslim.
- Pray the eleven rak'at Witr. In that case, you have to recite the taslim every two rak'at.
