Raising Hands in Witr Qunūt and Prophet's Witr Rak‘āt

❖ Raising Hands in Qunūt of Witr and the Number of Rak‘āt Prayed by the Prophet ﷺ


Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Volume 1, Page 511

❖ Question 1:​

Is it proven to raise the hands during the Du‘ā al-Qunūt in Witr prayer?

Answer:​

◉ Evidence from Hadith​

There is no authentic (ṣaḥīḥ) hadith that establishes the practice of raising the hands (rafʿ al-yadayn) during Du‘ā al-Qunūt in Witr prayer directly from the Prophet ﷺ.


However, in Sunan Ibn Mājah, there is a narration from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:


أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، كَانَ يُوتِرُ فَيَقْنُتُ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite Qunūt before bowing (rukūʿ) in Witr.”
(Sunan Ibn Mājah, Vol. 1, p. 259, Egypt edition)
Al-Sindī in his marginal notes on the Zawā’id says:
“Its chain is authentic, and all its narrators are trustworthy.”


Note: This narration only mentions the recitation of Qunūt — not the raising of hands.

◉ Statements of Scholars​

Imām Abū Ṭāhir al-Fayrūzābādī رحمه الله stated:


"There is no authentic narration in the Ṣaḥīḥ collections proving that the Prophet ﷺ recited Qunūt in Witr prayer at all. Imām Aḥmad said that all the narrations on Qunūt refer to Ṣalāh al-Ṣubḥ (Fajr) and nothing is proven for Witr. However, many companions did recite Qunūt in Witr based on the hadith of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī, in which the Prophet ﷺ taught him these words to say in Witr..."


Duʿā taught to al-Ḥasan رضي الله عنه:


اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ...
“O Allah! Guide me among those You have guided…”


(Ref: Safar al-Saʿādah, p. 37)


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◉ Method of Raising Hands​

• Raising hands in Qunūt should be like normal supplication, not like rafʿ al-yadayn during Takbīrat al-Taḥrīmah.
• This means palms facing upward, hands at chest level, as in regular duʿā.

◉ Reports from the Companions and Tābiʿīn​

The following narrations support raising hands during Qunūt as a form of duʿā:


✔ From al-Aswad:
ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه would raise his hands to his chest during Qunūt.


✔ From Abū ʿUthmān al-Nahdī:
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه would raise his hands during Qunūt to the extent that his armpits became visible.


✔ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه used to raise his hands in Qunūt during Ramaḍān.


✔ Abū Qilābah and Makḥūl also raised their hands in Qunūt during Ramaḍān.
(Ref: Qiyām al-Layl by al-Marwazī, p. 134; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 343)

◉ Opinions of the Scholars​

◈ Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله:


“The apparent implication is that the hands were raised like they are raised in supplication.”
(Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 1, p. 343)


◈ Imām Ṭaḥāwī رحمه الله mentioned:


“In the latter part of his life, Imām Abū Yūsuf held the view of raising the hands in Qunūt of Witr like in duʿā.”
(Mukhtaṣar al-Ṭaḥāwī, p. 28, Egypt edition)

Summary of First Issue​

◈ No direct authentic hadith proves that the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands in Qunūt of Witr.
◈ However, based on the general rulings of duʿā and the authentic reports from the companions, it is permissible to raise the hands in Qunūt — like one does in duʿā, not like in takbīr.

❖ Question 2:​

How many Rakʿāt of Witr did the Prophet ﷺ pray?

Answer:​

According to authentic hadiths, the Prophet ﷺ prayed Witr as:


① One Rakʿah
③ Three Rakʿāt
⑤ Five Rakʿāt
⑦ Seven Rakʿāt
⑨ Nine Rakʿāt
⑪ Eleven Rakʿāt
⑬ Thirteen Rakʿāt



Shāh Walīullāh رحمه الله said:


“According to most scholars, the minimum number of Witr is one Rakʿah, and the maximum is eleven or thirteen. More than that is even more virtuous. However, the Ḥanafīs maintain that Witr is three Rakʿāt — no more, no less.”
(Musawwā, Commentary on Muṣaffā, p. 127)

◉ Hadith of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه​

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: لاَ تُوتِرُوا بِثَلاَثٍ تُشَبِّهُوا بِالْمَغْرِبِ، وَلَكِنْ أَوْتِرُوا بِخَمْسٍ، أَوْ سَبْعٍ، أَوْ تِسْعٍ، أَوْ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ، أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ
“Do not pray Witr as three (in a way that resembles Maghrib). Rather, pray five, or seven, or nine, or eleven, or more than that.”
(Narrated by al-ʿIrāqī with a ṣaḥīḥ isnād – Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 3, p. 41)

◉ Hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها​

Saʿd ibn Hishām asked about the Witr of the Prophet ﷺ. She replied:


“He would pray nine Rakʿāt, then pray two Rakʿāt after salām. That made a total of eleven Rakʿāt. Later, in old age, he reduced to seven. So that totaled nine (including two after Witr).”
(Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, Vol. 1, p. 111, Chapter on Witr)


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Summary of Second Issue​

◈ The Prophet ﷺ prayed different numbers of Rakʿāt for Witr, but most commonly eleven or nine.
◈ Minimum of one Rakʿah Witr is established and acceptable.
◈ There is no fixed limit; flexibility is proven from authentic Sunnah.

Conclusion​

✔ Raising hands in Qunūt of Witr is not directly proven by ṣaḥīḥ hadith from the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ But based on authentic reports from the companions, it is allowed to raise hands — like in regular duʿā.
✔ Witr can be prayed as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 13 Rakʿāt — the Prophet ﷺ commonly prayed 11 or 9.


وَاللهُ أَعلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب