The Ruling on Witr Prayer According to the Shafi’i School
The Witr prayer is regarded as a confirmed Sunnah in the Shafi’i school and by all scholars, except for the Hanafi school. In terms of merit, it ranks fourth among the voluntary prayers, following the prayers of Eid, solar and lunar eclipses, and the rain prayer. The Witr prayer is a distinct form of worship prescribed specifically for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); it is obligatory for him, but not for his followers.
Number of Rak’ahs in Witr Prayer According to the Shafi’i School
The Witr prayer is performed with an odd number of rak’ahs, which is why it is named ‘Witr.’ The minimum number of rak’ahs for the Witr prayer in the Shafi’i school is one, while the maximum is eleven. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never prayed more than eleven rak’ahs, neither in Ramadan nor at any other time.”
Others suggest that the upper limit might reach thirteen rak’ahs. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that “the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to perform Witr with thirteen rak’ahs, but as he aged and became weaker, he reduced it to seven.” The minimum completion of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is three rak’ahs, while the best numbers are five, seven, or nine rak’ahs.
It is permissible to have interruptions between the rak’ahs of the Witr prayer; hence, they do not need to be performed consecutively. The invocation of Qunoot is recommended during the last rak’ah of the Witr prayer. According to the Shafi’i school, if one prays three rak’ahs, it is preferred to recite Surah Al-A’la in the first rak’ah, Surah Al-Kafirun in the second, and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the third, followed by the last two Surahs (Al-Falaq and An-Nas).
Time for Witr Prayer According to the Shafi’i School
The time for the Witr prayer begins after the Isha prayer. If someone prays Witr before performing Isha, their Witr prayer is not valid as its time has not yet entered. The time for Witr ends with the break of dawn, before the second Adhan of Fajr. It is preferable to delay the Witr prayer until the last third of the night, ideally performed after the Tahajjud prayer.
If one is certain they will wake up during the last part of the night, it is recommended to delay the prayer. Conversely, if there is uncertainty, it is better to perform it before sleeping. Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever fears they may not get up in the last part of the night, let them pray Witr at the beginning; and whoever is hopeful of standing in the last part of the night, let them pray Witr at the end of the night, for the prayer in the last part of the night is witnessed (or, in another narration, is present).”
It is also preferable for the Shafi’is to delay the Witr prayer until after the night prayers, such as Tarawih, Tahajjud, or any voluntary prayers performed at night. One should perform these prayers first before praying Witr. For example, during Ramadan, it is better to pray Tarawih and then Witr. However, there is no harm if one prays Witr immediately after Isha.