Can you kindly explain in detail the ways of praying Witr?

The ways of praying Witr:

The number of rak’ahs:

The minimum number of rak’ahs for Witr is one rakah, because the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Witr is one rakah at the end of the night.”[1] And he (ﷺ) said: “The night prayers are two (rak’ahs) by two, but if one of you fears that dawn is about to break, let him pray one rakah to make what he has prayed odd-numbered.” [2] If a person limits himself to praying one rakah, then he has performed the Sunnah. But Witr may also be three, five, seven or nine rak’ahs.

If a person prays three rakats of Witr this may be done in two ways, both of which are prescribed in Shariah:

1. To pray them one after another, with one tashahud, because of the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah who said: “The Prophet (ﷺ) used not to say the taslim in the (first) two rak’ahs of Witr.” According to another version: “He used to pray Witr with three rakats and he did not sit except in the last of them.”[3]
2. Saying the taslim after two rakats, then praying one rakah on its own, because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, he used to separate the two rakats from the single rakah with a taslim, and he said that the Prophet used to do that.[4]

But if he prays Witr with five or seven rakahs, then they should be continuous, and he should only recite one tashahud in the last of them and say the taslim, because of the report narrated by ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rakahs at night, praying five rakahs of Witr, in which he would not sit except in the last rakah.” [5]

And it was narrated that Umm Salamah  said: “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray Witr with five or seven (rak’ahs) and he did not separate between them with any salaam or words.” [6]

If he prays Witr of nine rakats, then they should be continuous and he should sit to recite the tashahud in the eighth rakah, then stand up and not say the taslim, then he should recite the tashahud in the ninth rakah and then say the taslim. It was narrated in Muslim (746) from ‘Aa’ishah  that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray nine rak’ahs in which he did not sit except in the eighth, when he would remember Allah, praise Him and call upon Him, then he would get up and not say the taslim, and he would stand up and pray the ninth (rakah), then he would sit and remember Allah and praise Him and call upon Him, then he would say a taslim that we could hear.

If he prayed Witr with eleven rakats, he would say the taslim after each two rakats, and then pray one rakah at the end.

An example of praying Witr and what is to be recited therein:

An example of praying Witr is to pray two rakats and say the taslim, then to pray one rakah and say the taslim. It is permissible to say one taslim, but one should say one tashahud not two, as stated above.

In the first rakah one may recite Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a ’la (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah al-A ’la 87). In the second one may recite Surah al-Kaafiroon (109), and in the third Surah al-Ikhlas (112).

All these ways of offering Witr prayer have been mentioned in the Sunnah, but the best way is not to stick to one particular way; rather one should do it one way one time and another way another time, so that one will have done all the Sunnah.

And Allah knows best.

References:

[1] Sahih Muslim, 752

[2] Sahih Bukhari, 911; Sahih Muslim, 749

[3] Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 3/234; al-Bayhaqi, 3/31] Al-Nabawi said in al-Majmoo’ (4/7): It was narrated by al-Nasaa’i with a hasan isnad, and by al-Bayhaqi with a Sahih isnad.

[4] Narrated by Ibn Hibban (2435); Ibn Hajr said inal-Fath (2/482): its isnad is qawiy (strong).

[5] Sahih Muslim, 737

[6] Ahmad, 6/290; al-Nasaa’i, 1714