How Many Rakahs May be Made in Witr?
Posted by fatwa on Mar 12, 2011 in Featured, Witr | 3 comments
Question:
Salams, How many rakahs are there in witr?
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlah,
Imam Nawawi states in both Minhaj al-Talibin and Rawdah al-Talibin, that the witr prayer is sunnah. Also, the witr prayer can be performed by one rakah alone, three, five, seven, nine, or eleven, which is the maximum upon the preferred opinion of the madhhab. The second opinion in the madhhab states that its maximum number is thirteen rakah and that it is not permitted to exceed this number. If he does increase beyond the maximum number of rakah, then his witr will be invalid. It is sunnah for one who only makes three rakah that he recites in the first Surah al-Ala, in the second Surah al-Kafirun, and in the third Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq, and Surah al-Nas. (Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/451-52: Rawdah al-Talibin 1/328)
Allah knows best.
Answered by: Sidi Mahmud Adams
I know there are some ahadith reported by Ibn Mas’ud(RA) saying one rakah of witr is not sufficient because it is just like Maghrib. What is the Shafi’i school’s position on this?
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlah,
Zarqani mentions that Daraqutni related a hadith of that nature from Ibn Masud, and that its sanad is weak [daif]. Also, Bayhaqi mentions that it is sound [sahih] to consider it mawquf from Ibn Masud, not marfu from the Prophet (SAW). (Sharh al-Zarqani v. 1, p. 233)
Ibn Abd al-Barr seems to incline that way as well, he mentions that Ibn Masud relates it using the sighat al-tamrid, ‘ruwiya.’ That implies that he considered it as weak. (Tamhid v. 13, p. 253)
And, Allah knows best.
Assalamu Alaikum,
How can I pray Witr during Ramadan behind a Hanafi imam? Should I give salam after 2nd tashajud and then get up for 1 rakah of witr, with qunoot after ruku (after 15th Ramadan)?
Jezakallah Khair