Salah al-Witr

Salah al-Witr is a wajib ritual prayer performed after the Salah al-'Isha and consists of three rak’ah. Prophet Muhammad (saw) says about Witr “Allah the Exalted has given you an extra prayer which is better for you then the red camels (i.e. high breed camels). This is the witr which Allah has appointed for you between the night prayer and the daybreak..” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Witr, 1). The value of this analogy is better understood when it is known that the red camel had a unique value for the Arabs of that period. 

What discerns this salah from all other salah is that one raises his hands while reciting the takbir after the extra surah recited in the third rak’ah, and then recites the Qunut Du'as. Those who do not know the Qunut may say the “Rabbana atina” supplication. It is encouraged to perform this salah just before the time of the Morning Ritual Prayer starts, in the last third of the night. (Muwatta’, Salah al-layl, 3; Sahih Muslim, Musafirun, 130; Sunan an-Nasai, Qiyam al-layl, 30)In addition to this, one may perform the Witr any time at night as long as one performs it after the Midnight Ritual Prayer.