What should I do if I’m praying Witr and Fajr adhaan is called?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

The time for praying Witr ends when dawn breaks.

That’s because the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The night prayers are two by two, then when you fear that dawn is about to break, then pray one (rak’ah) and make the prayers that you have offered odd-numbered.” (al-Bukhaari, 472)

So try and time yourself in such a way that you should complete your witr before the adhaan of fajr.

But if it so happens that you mis-timed yourself and the adhaan was called while you were praying witr, then you can complete it quickly and the prayer is valid.

🍃 Someone asked Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen:

“A man is praying Witr and whilst he is praying the Mu’adhdhin gives the adhaan for Fajr prayer.

Should he complete his prayer?”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“Yes, if the adhaan is given whilst he is praying Witr, he should complete his prayer and there is nothing wrong with that.”

(Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 14/115)

🍃 And someone asked Shaykh Fayhan Al-Mutairi, former professor at the Islaamic University of Madeenah & instructor at Masjid An-Nabawi:

“If a person is praying witr and during his prayer the mu’adhdhin called for fajr prayer, should he continue with his witr?”

The Shaykh said:

“Yes, if the call to prayer was during his witr, he should complete the prayer and he is excused. This matter is part of the case of the timing of witr prayer: i.e., does witr end at the start of the timing of the fajr prayer or at the end of the timing of the fajr prayer?

The majority of scholars (al-jumhoor) are in agreement that answer is the start of fajr prayer.”

(Is'aaf Ahl il-Asr bi-ma Warada fi Ahkaam Salaat il-Witr, p.33)

And Allaah knows best.