How to pray witr?

[ZeeshanParvez]

Re: How to pray witr?

@teggy

Question: When praying Witr in the form of 2+1. Do you make niyyah of Witr at the beginning of the 2, conclude them with salaam, and just do takbir and restart with final rakah? Or do you make niyyah for 2 nafl, and then separate niyyah for the witr before the 1 rakah?

Excellent question. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali has actually discussed this issue in his Sharh of the Hadith of Imaam Al-Bukhaari.

Without getting into details, the answer to your question would depend on whether you consider all of that which is related with that one Rak’ah to be Witr or only the last Rak’ah itself?

The scholars have differed in this issue with some saying all of it is Witr while others say only the last Rak’ah is Witr.

So, you have the following options:

1. Make intention that all of it is Witr
2. Make the intention that the Rak’ah before are the Sunnah of Witr and the last is Witr
3. Make the intention that the Rak’ah before are from Tahjjud or Qiyaam Al-Layl and the last is Witr