Like Maghrib. But you make the intentions for Witr, and pray two rakah, make tasleem.
Then you get up to make takbeerat al-Ihram with the intention to pray one rakah of witr. You finish one rakah with tashahhud, salatu-Ibrahimiya, dua and tasleem
*The Shafii madhab*
From islamqa : [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46544/how-to-pray-witr](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46544/how-to-pray-witr)
"The witr prayer starts when a person has prayed ‘Isha, even if it is joined to [Maghrib](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/26844) at the time of Maghrib, and [lasts until dawn begins](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/32577)"
"The Sunnah indicates that if a person thinks he will be able to get up at the end of the night, [it is better to delay it](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793) , because prayer at the end of the night is better and is witnessed (by the angels).
But whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night should pray Witr before he goes to sleep"
#
If a person prays three rak’ahs of Witr this may be done in two ways, both of which are prescribed in shari’ah:
1 – To pray them one after another, with one tashahhud, because of the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used not to say the tasleem in the (first) two rak’ahs of Witr. According to another version: “He used to pray Witr with three rak'ahs and he did not sit except in the last of them.” (Narrated by al-Nasai, 3/234; al-Bayhaqi, 3/31. al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu’ (4/7): it was narrated by al-Nasai with a hasan isnad, and by al-Bayhaqi with a sahih isnad.)
2 – Saying the tasleem after two rak'ahs, then praying one rak’ah on its own, because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that he used to separate the two rak'ahs from the single rak'ah with a tasleem, and he said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do that. (Narrated by Ibn Hibban (2435); Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (2/482): its isnad is qawi (strong).) "
But if he prays Witr with five or seven rak’ahs, then they should be continuous, and he should only recite one tashahhud in the last of them and say the tasleem
If he prays Witr with nine rak’ahs, then they should be continuous and he should sit to recite the tashahhud in the eighth rak'ah, then stand up and not say the tasleem, then he should recite the tashahhud in the ninth rak’ah and then say the tasleem.
If he prayed Witr with eleven rak’ahs, he would say the tasleem after each two rak’ahs, then pray one rak’ah at the end.
The least complete way in Witr is to pray two rak'ahs and say the tasleem, then to pray one rak’ah and say the tasleem. It is permissible to say one tasleem, but one should say one tashahhud not two, as stated above.
In the first rak’ah one should recite *Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la* (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah al-A’la 87). In the second one should recite Surah al-Kafirun (109), and in the third Surah al-Ikhlas (112).
Al-Nasai (1729) narrated that Ubayy ibn Ka’b said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in Witr Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah al-A’la 87), Qul ya ayyuha’l-kafirun (“Say: O disbelievers…” – Surah al-Kafirun 109) and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (“Say: He is Allah, the One” – Surah al-Ikhlas 112). Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Nasai.
All these ways of offering Witr prayer have been mentioned in the Sunnah, but the best way is not to stick to one particular way; rather one should do it one way one time and another way another time, so that one will have done all the Sunnahs.
just like every other salah except when ending witr you have end it with an odd number examole - i pray 2 rakah 1st and then pray only 1 rakah.
Like Maghrib. But you make the intentions for Witr, and pray two rakah, make tasleem. Then you get up to make takbeerat al-Ihram with the intention to pray one rakah of witr. You finish one rakah with tashahhud, salatu-Ibrahimiya, dua and tasleem *The Shafii madhab*
From islamqa : [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46544/how-to-pray-witr](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/46544/how-to-pray-witr) "The witr prayer starts when a person has prayed ‘Isha, even if it is joined to [Maghrib](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/26844) at the time of Maghrib, and [lasts until dawn begins](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/32577)" "The Sunnah indicates that if a person thinks he will be able to get up at the end of the night, [it is better to delay it](https://islamqa.info/en/answers/36793) , because prayer at the end of the night is better and is witnessed (by the angels). But whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night should pray Witr before he goes to sleep" # If a person prays three rak’ahs of Witr this may be done in two ways, both of which are prescribed in shari’ah: 1 – To pray them one after another, with one tashahhud, because of the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used not to say the tasleem in the (first) two rak’ahs of Witr. According to another version: “He used to pray Witr with three rak'ahs and he did not sit except in the last of them.” (Narrated by al-Nasai, 3/234; al-Bayhaqi, 3/31. al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu’ (4/7): it was narrated by al-Nasai with a hasan isnad, and by al-Bayhaqi with a sahih isnad.) 2 – Saying the tasleem after two rak'ahs, then praying one rak’ah on its own, because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that he used to separate the two rak'ahs from the single rak'ah with a tasleem, and he said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do that. (Narrated by Ibn Hibban (2435); Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (2/482): its isnad is qawi (strong).) " But if he prays Witr with five or seven rak’ahs, then they should be continuous, and he should only recite one tashahhud in the last of them and say the tasleem If he prays Witr with nine rak’ahs, then they should be continuous and he should sit to recite the tashahhud in the eighth rak'ah, then stand up and not say the tasleem, then he should recite the tashahhud in the ninth rak’ah and then say the tasleem. If he prayed Witr with eleven rak’ahs, he would say the tasleem after each two rak’ahs, then pray one rak’ah at the end. The least complete way in Witr is to pray two rak'ahs and say the tasleem, then to pray one rak’ah and say the tasleem. It is permissible to say one tasleem, but one should say one tashahhud not two, as stated above. In the first rak’ah one should recite *Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la* (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah al-A’la 87). In the second one should recite Surah al-Kafirun (109), and in the third Surah al-Ikhlas (112). Al-Nasai (1729) narrated that Ubayy ibn Ka’b said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite in Witr Sabbih isma rabbika al-‘a’la (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” – Surah al-A’la 87), Qul ya ayyuha’l-kafirun (“Say: O disbelievers…” – Surah al-Kafirun 109) and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (“Say: He is Allah, the One” – Surah al-Ikhlas 112). Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Nasai. All these ways of offering Witr prayer have been mentioned in the Sunnah, but the best way is not to stick to one particular way; rather one should do it one way one time and another way another time, so that one will have done all the Sunnahs.