What is Dua-e-Qunoot of the Witr prayer?

Dua’ al-Qunoot is a supplication recited during standing in the last rak’ah of Witr prayer before bowing. The worshipper should raise his hands to chest height and no more, because this du’aa’ is not a du’aa’ of supplication in which a person needs to raise his hands high. Rather it is a duaa’ of hope in which a person holds out his palms towards heaven.

A number of wordings have been narrated for Duaa’ al-Qunoot in Witr prayer, including the following:

1 – The version which the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) taught to Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه), which is:

اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت ، وعافني فيمن عافيت ، وتولني فيمن توليت ، وبارك لي فيما أعطيت ، وقني شر ما قضيت ، فإنك تقضي ولا يقضى عليك ، إنه لا يذل من واليت ، ولا يعز من عاديت ، تباركت ربنا وتعاليت ، لا منجى منك إلا إليك

“Allaahumma ihdini feeman hadayta wa ‘aafini feeman ‘aafayta wa tawallani feeman tawallayta wa baarik li feema a’tayta, wa qini sharra ma qadayta , fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ‘alayk, wa innahu laa yadhillu man waalayta wa laa ya’izzu man ‘aadayta, tabaarakta Rabbana wa ta’aalayta la munji minka illa ilayk”

(O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those whom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted. There is no place of safety from You except with You).

[Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1213; al-Nasaa’i, 1725; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 429.]

It was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib that the Prophet (رضي الله عنه) used to say at the end of Witr:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ لا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ

“Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bi ridaaka min sakhatika wa bi mu’aafaatika min ‘uqoobatika wa a’oodhu bika minka, la uhsi thana’an ‘alayka anta kama athnayta ‘ala nafsika”

(O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I cannot praise You enough; You are as You have praised Yourself).

[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1727; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 430; Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1282.]

Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as it was narrated that some of the Sahaabah (رضی الله عنهم) – including Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Mu’aadh al-Ansaary (رضی الله عنهم) – did that at the end of Qunoot al-Witr.

(See Tasheeh al-Du’aa’ by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, p. 460).

Qunoot at times of calamity (Qunoot al-Naazilah) 

When praying Qunoot at the time of calamity, one should make supplication as is appropriate to the situation, as it was narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) cursed some Arab tribes who had betrayed his companions and killed them, and he prayed for the weak and oppressed believers in Makkah, that Allaah would save them.  It was narrated that ‘Umar (رضی الله عنه) prayed Qunoot with the following words:

اللهم إنا نستعينك ونؤمن بك ، ونتوكل عليك ونثني عليك الخير ولا نكفرك ، اللهم إياك نعبد ، ولك نصلي ونسجد ، وإليك نسعى ونحفد ، نرجو رحمتك ونخشى عذابك ، إن عذابك الجدَّ بالكفار مُلحق ، اللهم عذِّب الكفرة أهل الكتاب الذين يصدون عن سبيلك

“Allaahumma inna nasta’eenuka wa nu’minu bika, wa natawakkalu ‘alayka wa nuthni ‘alayka al-khayr, wa laa nakfuruka. Allaahumma iyyaaka na’budu wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu, wa ilayka nas’aa wa nahfid. Narju rahmataka wa nakhsha ‘adhaabaka, inna ‘adhaabaka al-jadd bil kuffaari mulhaq. Allaahumma ‘adhdhib il-kafarata ahl al-kitaab alladheena yasuddoona ‘an sabeelika”

(O Allaah, verily we seek Your help, we believe in You, we put our trust in You and we praise You and we are not ungrateful to You. O Allaah, You alone we worship and to You we pray and prostrate, for Your sake we strive. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment, for Your punishment will certainly reach the disbelievers.  O Allaah, punish the infidels of the People of the Book who are preventing others from following Your way).

[Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 2/210; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 2/170. Al-Albaani said: This was reported from ‘Umar  (رضي الله عنه) concerning Qunoot in Fajr, and it seems that this Qunoot is Qunoot al-Naazilah (Qunoot at times of calamity) as is indicated by his praying against the kuffaar.]

Another popular version reads:

اَللَّهُمَّ إنا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَنُثْنِئْ عَلَيْكَ الخَيْرَ وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ ئَّفْجُرُكَ
اَللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَلَكَ نُصَلِّئ وَنَسْجُدُ وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعأئ وَنَحْفِدُ وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشآئ عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالكُفَّارِ مُلْحَقٌ

“Allaahumma inna nasta inuka wa nastaghfiruka, wa nu’minu bika wa natawakkalu ‘alaika wa nuthni ‘alaikal khair, wa nashkuruka wa la nakfuruka wa nakhla’u wa natruka manyyafjuruka.
Allahumma iyyaka na’budu , wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu wa ilaika nas’a wa nahfidu wa narju rahmataka wa nakhsha ‘adhabaka inna ‘adhabaka bil kaffari mulhiq.”

(O Allaah! Truly we seek Your help and Your forgiveness and believe in You and praise You for all good. We thank You and are not ungrateful to You and submit ourselves to you and surrender and abandon all who reject You.
O Allaah You alone we worship. We pray and prostrate to You. We strive and struggle in Your Way. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your harsh punishment. Certainly Your punishment encircles the rejectors.)

[Narrated by`Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (رضي الله عنه) and recorded in Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah.]

Some more Qunoot supplications with their translations are listed in this book.