The Ruling on Witr Prayer According to the Hanafi School
In the Hanafi school of thought, the Witr prayer is considered obligatory. This obligation is seen as less than a mandatory act (fard), and the Witr consists of three rak’ahs, performed with a single tashahhud at the end. In each rak’ah, it is required to recite Surah Al-Fatiha followed by another Surah from the Quran. Upon completing the recitation in the third rak’ah, the worshiper should raise their hands and say the Takbir, similar to the Takbir al-Ihram, followed by the opening supplication (dua).
Qunoot in Witr Prayer According to the Hanafi School
The worshiper recites the Qunoot dua during the Witr prayer, which must be performed before the bowing (ruku). In the Hanafi tradition, Qunoot is considered obligatory. If an individual is unable to recite Qunoot, they should say, “O Allah, forgive me” three times. Should one forget to recite the Qunoot dua and remember it while in ruku, they neither perform Qunoot nor return to an upright position.
Upon concluding the prayer and offering the two salutations, the worshiper should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud as-sahw). If a worshiper stands up to recite the Qunoot dua and does not return to ruku, their prayer remains valid. Additionally, if the worshiper bends in ruku by mistake before reciting the Surah and Qunoot dua, they may raise their head to read the Surah and perform the Qunoot dua.
Timing of Witr Prayer According to the Hanafi School
The Witr prayer is performed after the Isha prayer and extends from the disappearance of twilight until the break of dawn. The call to prayer (adhan) for Isha suffices for the Witr prayer, as it does not have its own adhan or iqamah. It is important to observe the order of prayers: one should pray Isha first, followed by Witr.
If a person intentionally neglects the Witr prayer or forgets it due to distraction, they are obliged to make it up, regardless of how long it has been. If someone performs Witr before Isha due to forgetfulness, their prayer is valid. In the case they pray Isha and then Witr in order, but later discover that the Isha prayer was invalid, the Witr prayer remains valid.
They should then repeat the Isha prayer alone, as the requirement of maintaining order is waived due to the excuse. According to the Hanafi school, a person should not perform the Witr prayer while sitting if they have the ability to stand, nor should they do it while riding unless there is a valid excuse. It is also customary to recite quietly, regardless of whether the person is leading the prayer, praying alone, or is part of a congregation.
Congregational prayer for Witr is only recommended during the holy month of Ramadan. Outside of Ramadan, praying Witr in congregation is considered undesirable.
The Virtue of Witr Prayer
The Witr prayer holds immense merit before Allah, as noted in the narration by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported: “My beloved (Prophet Muhammad) advised me to observe three things: to fast three days each month, to pray two rak’ahs of Dhuhr, and to perform Witr before I sleep.”