❀ Qunūt in Witr: Before Rukū‘, Supplications, and Important Notes ❀
Qunūt in Witr Before Rukū‘
Sayyidunā Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray three rak‘ahs of Witr and recite the Qunūt before bowing (rukū‘)."
(al-Nasā’ī: Qiyām al-Layl, Bāb Dhikr Ikhtilāf Alfāẓ al-Nāqilīn Li-Khabar Ubayy ibn Ka‘b fī al-Witr: 1700; Ibn Mājah, Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Qunūt Qabla al-Rukū‘ wa Ba‘dahu, 1178 – authenticated by Ibn al-Sakan and Ibn al-Turkmanī)
Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd and other Companions (رضي الله عنهم) would also recite Qunūt in Witr before rukū‘.
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2/97 – graded ṣaḥīḥ by Ibn al-Turkmanī and ḥasan by Ibn Ḥajar)
All narrations about Qunūt after rukū‘ in Witr are weak. The authentic narrations do not clearly indicate whether it was Qunūt al-Witr or Qunūt al-Nāzilah.
The correct method is to recite Qunūt in Witr before rukū‘.Supplications of Qunūt in Witr
Supplication Narrated by Sayyidunā ‘Alī (رضي الله عنه)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite this supplication at the end of Witr:
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ
(Abū Dāwūd: 1427; al-Tirmidhī: al-Da‘awāt, Bāb fī Du‘ā’ al-Witr: 3566)
Supplication Narrated by Sayyidunā Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (رضي الله عنهما)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught him this supplication for Qunūt in Witr:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
(Abū Dāwūd: al-Witr, Bāb al-Qunūt fī al-Witr: 1425; al-Tirmidhī: al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Qunūt fī al-Witr: 464 – graded ḥasan by al-Tirmidhī and ṣaḥīḥ by Ibn Khuzaymah)
Important Notes
◈ There is no marfū‘ (direct) narration proving that the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands in Qunūt al-Witr, though some reports from the Companions exist in Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah.
◈ The phrase "نَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ" after "رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ" is not established in any authentic hadith—it is an addition.
◈ Saying "صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ" at the end of Qunūt is permissible, as established from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (رضي الله عنه) during Ramadan Qiyām in the time of ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه), and from Mu‘ādh al-Anṣārī (رضي الله عنه).
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 1100)
Dhikr After Witr
Sayyidunā Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
After giving salām from Witr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say three times:
سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ
"Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy."
(Abū Dāwūd: al-Witr, Bāb fī al-Du‘ā’ ba‘d al-Witr: 1430 – authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān)
Qunūt al-Nāzilah
When to Perform It
It is recited during calamities, war, or when enemies overpower Muslims.
Example of Qunūt al-Nāzilah
Sayyidunā ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) would recite in Fajr prayer:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ... (full du‘ā as in the original)
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 2/312)
Timing and Method
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to supplicate for or against a people, he would do so after rising from rukū‘ in the last rak‘ah, saying:
سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Then he would make du‘ā.
(Abū Dāwūd: al-Witr, Bāb al-Qunūt fī al-Ṣalawāt: 1443)
The Prophet ﷺ recited Qunūt al-Nāzilah for a month in all five prayers after rukū‘, and the Companions would say "Āmīn" behind him.
(al-Bukhārī: Tafsīr Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān, 4560; Muslim: al-Masājid, Bāb Istiḥbāb al-Qunūt fī Jamī‘ al-Ṣalāh, 677)
During this, he raised his hands.
(Musnad Aḥmad: 3/137, 17240)
