Tahajjud and Witr
How Witr closes the night, how many rak'ahs it can be, and what to do if you have already prayed it.
Pending scholarly review · Last updated 9 August 2026
Witr is an odd-numbered prayer that closes the night.
The instruction
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make the last of your prayer at night Witr." (Sahih al-Bukhari 998; Sahih Muslim 751)
How many
Witr may be one, three, five, seven or nine rak'ahs. One rak'ah is valid and established in the Sunnah.
If you already prayed Witr and then woke up
You may still pray voluntary rak'ahs in the night. The majority position is that Witr is not repeated — there is no second Witr in one night. Detailed rulings differ between schools; ask a scholar you trust about your own practice.
If you are worried about waking
Pray Witr before you sleep. If you then wake, pray in pairs without repeating Witr. (Sahih Muslim 755)
References
Sahih al-Bukhari — 998hadith
"Make the last of your prayer at night Witr."
Sahih Muslim — 751hadith
Parallel narration.
Islamic educational content is provided with references. For personal religious rulings, please consult a qualified scholar.
Put this into practice tonight
See Isha, Islamic midnight, the last third and Fajr calculated for your own location.
Open tonight's timesKeep reading
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How many rak'ahs is Tahajjud?
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