a number of other scholars; however, the view selected by Mālik is stronger, for no sound report states that the Prophet ﷺ ever performed witr as a single rakʿah, and his practice deserves to be followed above all.

If someone prays behind an imam who performs witr as three consecutive rakʿahs without giving salām in between, he should not differ with him, because the reports from the Prophet ﷺ on this point vary and because of the ḥadīth, “The imam has only been appointed so that he may be followed.”

There is no prescribed amount of Qur’anic recitation for witr. Mālik recommended that in the first two rakʿahs of a three-rakʿah witr one recite the Opening Sūrah (al-Fātiḥah) together with “Say: He is Allah, the One” (Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ) in each rakʿah, and that in the third rakʿah one recite the Opening Sūrah along with al-Ikhlāṣ, “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak” (al-Falaq), and “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind” (al-Nās).

No make-up is required for anyone who neglects or forgets a voluntary prayer. The only exception is the two rakʿahs of dawn: whoever wishes may perform them after sunrise, and that is unobjectionable. No one makes up witr, nor is it to be prayed after the dawn prayer has begun.

If a person forgets to perform the two rakʿahs of dawn at home and finds the congregation already praying, he should join them. Should he perform the two rakʿahs outside the mosque, knowing that he will still catch the bowing with the imam in the second rakʿah, that is acceptable; otherwise, he should not do so.

The same ruling applies to witr for someone who has forgotten it and comes upon the people in the dawn prayer. If he has not yet prayed witr, he should perform it first; then, if he manages to catch what we have just described, he may pray the two rakʿahs of dawn—otherwise, he need not do so.