Qunut: in witr and in calamity

The qunut is the supplication made standing in prayer. It has 2 main places: the witr at night, and the fajr prayer according to some schools. The companions observed the witr qunut before the bowing: 'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn 'Abbas report that they followed the night prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and that he made the qunut before bowing (reported by Malik in the Muwatta).

The qunut in the witr: what the schools say

The jurists are spread over 4 positions on the witr qunut. For

Abu Hanifa it is an obligation (wajib) of the witr, said before the bowing, all year round; his 2 companions Abu Yusuf and Muhammad make it a sunna, still before the bowing: 'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn 'Abbas report: "we observed the night prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): he made the qunut before bowing" (al-Bukhari 957, Muslim 677).

For the Maliki school the qunut in the witr is disliked; yet Malik taught it in the second half of Ramadan according to the Madinans and Ibn Wahb, while Ibn al-Qasim transmits that he strongly disapproved of it. For the Shafi'i school it is recommended in the witr, especially in the second half of Ramadan; al-Nawawi judges strong the opinion that recommends it all year round, on the strength of the hadith of Hasan ibn Ali. For the Hanbalis it is sunna in the witr, in the last rakah, all year round; another transmission of Ahmad restricts it to the second half of Ramadan.

The placement varies: after the bowing according to the sound view of the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis (al-Bukhari 957 and Muslim 677 report: "he made the qunut after bowing"), before the bowing for the Hanafis, and Ubayy ibn Ka'b reports that the Prophet made the witr qunut before bowing (reported by Abu Dawud). Ibn Surayj among the Shafi'is allows choosing between the 2 moments.

The wording taught by the Prophet to Hasan ibn Ali

The most followed wording is the one the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught Hasan ibn Ali: "he taught me words that I say in the witr". It is reported by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ahmad, with a sound chain:

اللَّهُمَّ اهدِنِي فِيمَن هَدَيتَ، وَعافِنِي فِيمَن عافَيتَ، وَتَولَّنِي فِيمَن تَولَّيتَ، وَبارِك لي فِيمَا أَعطَيتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ ما قَضيتَ؛ إِنَّكَ تَقضِي ولا يُقضَى عَلَيكَ، وَإِنَّه لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيتَ، وَلا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عادَيتَ، تَبارَكتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعالَيتَ

Allahoumma ihdini fiman hadayt, wa 'afini fiman 'afayt, wa tawallani fiman tawallayt, wa barik li fima a'tayt, wa qini charra ma qadayt, innaka taqdi wa la youqda 'alayk, innahou la yadhillou man walayt, wa la ya'izzou man 'adayt, tabarakta Rabbana wa ta'alayt.

O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me protection among those You have granted it, take me in charge among those You take in charge, and bless for me what You have given me. Shield me from the harm of what You have decreed: You decree and nothing is decreed against You. Whomever You take in charge is never humiliated, and whomever You take for enemy is never honored. Blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted.

Abu Dawud 1425, at-Tirmidhi 464, an-Nasa'i 1745, Ahmad; authentic hadith

The scholars add after this wording the prayer upon the Prophet: Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad. Al-Nawawi reports from his companions that one may add at the end: "to You is the praise for what You have decreed; I seek Your forgiveness and turn back to You", and that there is no harm in the addition "and whomever You take for enemy is never honored".

The other wordings: 'Ali and the qunut of 'Umar

Another valid wording is reported from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib by at-Tirmidhi:

اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أعوذُ برِضَاكَ مِن سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعافاتِكَ مِن عُقوبَتِكَ، وَأعوذُ بِكَ مِنكَ، لَا أُحصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيكَ، أنتَ كما أثنَيتَ على نَفسِك

Allahoumma inni a'oudhou biridaka min sakhatik, wa bi mou'afatika min 'ouqoubatik, wa a'oudhou bika mink, la ouhsi thana an 'alayka, anta kama athnayta 'ala nafsik.

O Allah, I seek protection in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your pardon from Your punishment. I seek protection in You from You: I cannot enumerate Your praise, You are as You have praised Yourself.

reported by at-Tirmidhi

The calamity qunut of 'Umar has also reached us: he invoked forgiveness for the believing men and women, the reconciliation of their hearts, victory over the enemy, and the curse upon those who turn others away from the path of Allah.

The Hanbalis even recite a wording that combines the 3: the opening "Allahumma, we seek Your help and Your forgiveness...", the wording of Hasan, and the protection attributed to 'Ali. Ibn Taymiya reports from 'Umar a qunut the length of about a 100 verses, followed by the prayer upon the Prophet.

The qunut in the fajr and in calamities

The permanent qunut of the fajr divides the schools into 3 positions. For the Hanafis it is not legislated:

Abu Hanifa calls it an innovation, and the Hanbalis dislike it. Their proof is the hadith of Abu Malik al-Ashja'i: "my father prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman: did they make the qunut of the fajr? He answered: my son, it is something introduced later" (reported by at-Tirmidhi 402, an-Nasa'i 1080 and Ibn Majah 1241, authentic hadith).

They also invoke Anas: the Prophet made the qunut of the subh for a month invoking against Arab tribes, then left it (reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim), and the leaving indicates abrogation, as for the maghrib qunut, abandoned by consensus.

The Malikis recommend it in calamities: the Prophet invoked against Ri'l, Dhakwan and 'Usayya, who had killed the companions sent to teach the Quran, and he also invoked for the weak and oppressed Muslims. These qunuts were occasional, tied to specific events. The Shafi'is, following 'Umar and Ubayy ibn Ka'b, keep it sunna in the fajr, especially in the second half of Ramadan.

Practical rules of the qunut

No wording is fixed: al-Nawawi teaches that any supplication fulfills the qunut, and that one may even recite a verse or more of the Quran containing a supplication, but the best is what the Sunna brought. Al-Karkhi holds that its length is about the recitation of a short surah like "When the sky is split". The imam says it aloud, the one who prays alone quietly; hands are raised toward the sky while reciting it, and it is sunna to add the prayer upon the Prophet. Whoever forgets the qunut and remembers after bowing does not go back, according to the Hanafis.

Finally, the hadith reported by Muslim where the goodness of the prayer lies "in the length of the qunut" speaks of the standing posture, not of the supplication: this is the unanimous view of the scholars, reported by al-Nawawi.