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After Shaykh Shaybah al-Hamd reviewed the various reports describing the Prophet’s ﷺ manner of performing witr, he said: “All of these sound, firmly established ḥadiths indicate that the number of rakʿahs in witr is a matter of flexibility, that witr is part of the night prayer, and that there is no objection to a person who performs witr as five rakʿahs, sitting only in the last of them; nor to one who performs it as seven, sitting only in the seventh; nor to one who performs it as nine, sitting only in the ninth. Whoever performs witr as three rakʿahs may give salām after the first two, and he may also combine the tashahhud and salām in the third. In all of this the matter is broad and accommodating, and Allah knows best.”
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Muslim relates 736 from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven rakʿahs during the night, making a single rakʿah of them his witr,” and in another wording: “He would give salām after every two rakʿahs and then perform a single rakʿah as witr.”
Sharḥ al-Zād remarks: “This is the preferable way.”
Ibn al-Qāsim notes in his Ḥāshiyah: “Because he ﷺ commanded it, persisted in it, and because it involves more acts of worship. This also proves that the minimum for witr is one rakʿah, which is the view of the majority.”
Kashshāf al-Qināʿ states: “It is recommended to perform the single rakʿah immediately after the even-numbered units without any delay.”
Sharḥ al-Zād further says: “The least complete form of witr is three rakʿahs with two salāms, though it is permissible to pray them consecutively with one salām.”
Aḥmad said: “If someone performs witr as three without giving salām between them, I do not regard that as objectionable.”
Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn (Ibn Taymiyyah) said: “One may choose between separating the rakʿahs or joining them; both are valid.” Although Aḥmad’s outward wording suggests that praying it like the Maghrib prayer is impermissible, he nevertheless allowed it in al-Iqnāʿ.