One or three Rak'at of Witr

Q. Usually I perform three Rak'at in Salat-ul-Witr, but some people perform only one Rak'at. Can you tell me what is the correct way?

Answer: The number of Rak'at in Salat-ul-Witr is also a matter upon which there is no unanimous agreement among the four Aimmah. According to the research of Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), the number of Rak'at in Salat-ul-Witr is three. According to him, performing only one Rak'at of Witr is not permissible.

According to Bukhari Sharif, Hadhrat Al-Qasim (rahimahullah) said:

"Since we knew, we have seen the people (the Sahabah [radiyallahu anhum]) performing three Rak'at of Witr."

And according to Tahawi, Abu Zanaad (Rahimahullah) said:

"What I know from the seven jurists, among others, namely Saeed bin Musayyab (Rahimahullah), Urwah bin Zubayr (Rahimahullah), Al-Qasim bin Abdur-Rahman (Rahimahullah), Khaarijah bin Zayd (Rahimahullah), Ubaidullah bin Abdullah (Rahimahullah), and Abu Bakr ibn Abdur-Rahman (Rahimahullah), is that the Witr is three Rak'at and that the Musalli should not make Salaam until the end (of the third Rak'at)."

According to Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah, Hadhrat Hassan al-Basri (Rahimahullah) said:

"The Muslims (Sahabah [Radiyallaahu anhum] and Taabi'in [Rahimahumullah]) are unanimous in the fact that the Witr is three Rak'at. There is no Salaam except at the end (of the third Rak'at)."

Tahawi narrated that Abu Zanaad (Rahimahullah) said:

"Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Rahimahullah) established the number of Rak'at of Witr to be three through the opinion of the Fuqaha—there is no Salaam except at the end (of the third Rak'at)."

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (Radiyallaahu anhuma) said:

"The Witr of the night is three Rak'at, just like the Witr of the day which is Maghrib." (Darqutni)

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbaas (Radiyallaahu anhuma) said:

"The Witr is similar to Salat-ul-Maghrib."(Mu'atta Imam Muhammad)

According to Tabrani, Tahawi and Mu'atta Imam Muhammad, Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (Radiyallaahu anhuma) said:

"Only one Rak'at is not valid at all."

Hafiz Abu Umar Ibn Abdul Barr reported in At-Tamhid that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) forbade Butairah, i.e. a person performing only one Rak'at as Witr.

It is based on these evidences that Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) concluded that Witr is three Rak'at, and that performing only one Rak'at is not valid.

[English version of "Un ou trois Rak'at de Witr‎" – Al Haadi – Vol. 2 No. 9,10]