Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

what is the propper way to pray a witr prayer.somebody say me that do not pray witr prayer like maghreb prayer. and i read in hadith that RASOOL ALLAH pray qnut only one month when there is some bad news. so can we read qnut in every witr prayer.
what is sunnah
thankyou 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Witr qunoot in prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: what is the propper way to pray a witr prayer.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.13

It is permissible to perform the witr prayers by praying two rak'at combinations[and concluding each of them with a tashahud and the tasleems] and then praying one rak'ah with a tashahud and taslim. Likewise, it is allowed to pray all the rak'at with two tashahuds and one taslim. One may pray an even number of rak'ats, one after another, without making any tashahud, save in the one before the last rak'ah in which case one makes the tashahud and then stands to perform the last rak'ah wherein one will make another tashahud and end the prayer with the taslim. One may also make only one tashahud and the taslim, in the last rak'ah of witr. All of that is permissible and can be traced to the Prophet (saws).

Al-Bukhari and Muslim quote 'Aishah saying that the Prophet (saws) would perform thirteen rak'at during the night and would make the witr prayer, and he would not 'sit' except in the last rak'ah of them. In another hadith, 'Aishah reports that the Prophet (saws) would perform nine rak'at during the night and that he would not sit during them until the eighth rak'ah in which he would make remembrance of Allah, praising Him, and would make supplication. Then, he would stand without making the taslim and pray the ninth rak'ah, after which he would sit, make the tashahud and make the taslim in such a manner that we could hear him.

The Prophet (saws) said: 'The night prayer is sets of two rak'at. If one fears the coming of the dawn, he should perform one rak'ah, thereby making all of them odd [witr].'

It is reported that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) said: "The witr prayer is not required like your obligatory prayers, but the Prophet (saws) would perform the witr prayer and say: 'O you people [followers] of the Qur'an, perform the witr prayer, for Allah is One and He loves the witr.'"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.112 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Make Witr as your last prayer at night."

Since the number of rakahs of the voluntary night prayers are not specified, one may pray as many rakahs as is easy for him. There is evidence in the authentic and established traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he (saws) offered his ‘witr’ prayers in three ways or forms of combinations; and it would be acceptable and permissible for the believers to follow any of these ways.

Pray the voluntary night prayers in a two rakah combination with a tashahud and tasleems after every set, then end the prayers with a one-rakah prayer with a tashahud and tasleems, thus making the number of rakah in prayers ‘witr’ or odd.

Pray the voluntary night prayers in any number of even rakah combination with only one tashahud (without tasleems) at the end, then get up and offer one-rakah and end the prayer with a tashahud and tasleems.

Pray the voluntary night prayers in any number of odd rakah combination and end the prayer with only one tashahud and tasleems.

Your Question: somebody say me that do not pray witr prayer like maghreb prayer.
Hadrat Aishah (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet (saws) would perform nine rak'at during the night and that he would not sit during them until the eighth rak'ah in which he would make (tashahud), remembrance of Allah, praising Him, and would make supplication. Then, he would stand without making the taslim and pray the ninth rak'ah, after which he would sit, make the tashahud and make the taslim in such a manner that we could hear him. (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

In light of the above evidence narrated by Hadrat Aisha (r.a.), it is absolutely permissible to pray any number of even-rakah combination, sit at the end of the last rakah and recite the tashahud without making the tasleems, then stand up and offer one-rakah and end it with the tashahud and tasleems…thus making the total count of the last prayers of the night as ‘witr’ or odd.

Your Question: and i read in hadith that RASOOL ALLAH pray qnut only one month when there is some bad news.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.422 Narrated by Asim Al Ahwal

The Prophet (saws) had sent some people called Al-Qurra who were seventy in number to some pagan people who had concluded a peace treaty with Allah's Messenger (saws). But those who had concluded the treaty with Allah's Messenger (saws) violated the treaty (and martyred all the seventy men). So Allah's Messenger(saws) said ‘Al-Qunut’ after bowing (in the prayers) for one month (in all the five obligatory prayers), invoking evil upon them.

It is indeed reported in the authentic and established traditions that the Messenger of Allah (saws) on one special occasion, when the pagans martyred seventy of the noble companions by deceit, prayed the ‘qunut’ in every obligatory prayer for a period of one month.

There is also enough evidence in the established Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would offer ‘qunut’ at other times, especially in his ‘witr’ prayers.

Your Question: so can we read qnut in every witr prayer.
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.15a

Ref: Al-Qunut in the Witr

It is part of Sunnah to supplicate with qunut in the witr prayer during the entire year. Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and others record that al-Hassan ibn 'Ali said: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) taught me the [following] words to say in (qunut) during the witr prayer: 'O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided. Grant me safety among those whom You have granted safety. Take me into Your charge among those whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect me from the evil that You have decreed, for You decree and nothing is decreed for You. And there is no humiliation for whom You take as a ward. Blessed and Exalted are You, our Lord. ' "

It is a Sunnah to recite the ‘qunut’ supplications after the last rakah of the witr prayers.

Your Question: what is sunnah
The literal meaning of the term ‘Sunnah’ is the tradition, practice or way of someone. When the term ‘Sunnah’ is used in Islamic terminology, it means the ‘Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws)’ or the way practiced or endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan