the prayer offered at the end of the night is witnessed, and that is better.” Reported by Muslim.

[Commentary]
These ḥadiths deal with the remaining matters connected to the Witr prayer; the author cites them in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn. Among them is the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction, “Perform Witr before daybreak,” because the time for Witr ends when dawn breaks. Once dawn has appeared, there is no Witr— even in the interval between the dawn adhān and the iqāmah. If dawn breaks and a person has not yet performed Witr, he should make it up during the day as an even number: if he normally performs three, he should pray four; if he performs five, he should pray six; if he performs seven, he should pray eight. This is supported by ʿĀʾishah’s (may Allah be pleased with her) statement: “When sleep or illness overcame him, the Prophet ﷺ would pray twelve rakʿahs during the day.”

Know that Witr may be performed in several ways:

1. Making Witr with a single rakʿah only; this is permissible and not disliked.
2. Making Witr with three rakʿahs. One may, if he wishes, give the salutation after two rakʿahs and then pray the third, or he may pray the three consecutively with a single tashahhud.
3. Making Witr with five rakʿahs, prayed consecutively with no tashahhud except in the last rakʿah.
4. Making Witr with seven rakʿahs, likewise prayed consecutively with no tashahhud except in the last rakʿah.
5. Making Witr with nine rakʿahs, prayed consecutively, sitting for tashahhud after the eighth—and he does not