Praying Tahajjud After Witr: What is the Correct Ruling?
Question: If someone prays Witr at night and then goes to sleep, but wakes up later and wants to pray Tahajjud, can they do so? And after Tahajjud, do they need to pray Witr again? A scholar advised that one should first pray one rak’ah to make the previous Witr an even number, then pray as much Tahajjud as desired, and finally pray Witr again. Is this correct?
Answer: The correct ruling is that if you have already prayed Witr after ‘Isha and then wake up to pray Tahajjud, you can certainly perform Tahajjud. There is no issue with this. However, since you have already prayed Witr, you should not pray Witr again after Tahajjud because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There are no two Witrs in one night.” There is no need to make the previous Witr an even number because one can perform Tahajjud and Qiyam al-Layl after having prayed to Witr.
There is also a practice from a companion where he would lead people in Tahajjud with Witr in one place and then lead another group in Tahajjud without Witr because he had already prayed Witr. The hadith is as follows:
Translation: Qais bin Talq said: “My father Talq bin Ali visited us during Ramadan and stayed with us for the night. He led us in Tahajjud and prayed Witr with us. Then he went to a mosque and led his companions in prayer until Witr remained. He then appointed a man to lead them in Witr and said, ‘Lead them in Witr, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “There are no two Witrs in one night.”‘ (Sahih al-Nasa’i: 1678)
Additionally, if you intend to wake up for Tahajjud, it is better not to pray Witr after ‘Isha because Witr should be the last prayer of the night.
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (May Allah preserve him)
❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (May Allah preserve him)