Which Witr Dua is Sunnah?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Kind.

Short Answer

There are at least two different Duas that the Sahabah narrated for Dua (Qunoot) during Witr. The Hanafis encouraged both and recognised both as being from the Sunnah.

Evidence

قَالَ الحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ: عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَلِمَاتٍ أَقُولُهُنَّ فِي الوِتْرِ: «اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ» وَفِي البَابِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ

(Sayidina) Hasan bin Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said, “the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me words for me to say in the Witr prayer. ‘O Allah, guide me along with those whom You have guided. Grant me wellbeing along with those you have granted wellbeing. Protect me along with those you have protected. Bless me in that which you have given. Protect me from difficulties you have decreed. For indeed you decree and are not decreed upon. Indeed the one you protect will not be humiliated. Our Lord you are divine and exalted.'” There is also a narration from (Sayidina) Ali. This Hadith is Hasan. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 464).

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ: عَلَّمَنَا ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ أَنْ نَقُولَ فِي الْقُنُوتِ يَعْنِي فِي الْوِتْرِ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ، وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ، وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ، وَلَا نَكْفُرُكُ، وَنَخْلَعُ، وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي، وَنَسْجُدُ، وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ، وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ، وَنَخْشَى عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحَقٌ

Abu Abd al-Rahman said, “(Sayidina Abdullah) Ibn Masood taught me to say (the following) in the Qunoot (Dua) of Witr, ‘O Allah we seek your assistance. We seek your forgiveness. We praise you and do not disbelieve in you. We discard and leave the one who rebels against you. O Allah, you alone do we worship. To you we pray and prostrate. We rush and hasten to you. We hope for your mercy and fear your punishment. Indeed, your punishment pursues the disbelievers.'” (Musanaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 29708).

The above supplication was narrated in the Musanaf of Imam Abd al-Razaaq too. He (Abu Abd al-Rahman) narrated it from Sayidina Ibn Masood (4969) and from Sayidina Ubay bin Ka’b (4970). Although this narration is from Sayidina Ubay, it does not specify the Qunoot of Witr.

In the authentic narrations above, we see that the Sahabah narrated two different supplications for the Qunoot (Dua) of Witr prayer. This is not unusual. The Sunnah often provides different options with regards to supplications (Dua). Many Hanafi scholars mentioned both and were also very flexible regarding the Dua that can be recited in Witr (Qunoot).

Classical scholars

وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا دُعَاءٌ مُؤَقَّتٌ: يُرِيدُ بِهِ سِوَى قَوْلِهِ اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك، فَالصَّحَابَةُ اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى هَذَا فِي الْقُنُوتِ، وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْدَهُ بِمَا عَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُمَا – فِي قُنُوتِهِ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ. (المبسوط)

It (Witr) does not have a specified supplication (Dua). He means other than his saying:اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك. The Sahabah were in agreement regarding this for Qunoot. However, it is superior for him to recite, after it, that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught (Sayidina) Hasan bin Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) for his Qunoot: اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ. (Imam Shams al-Aimah al-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot).

وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ دُعَاءٌ مُؤَقَّتٌ، وَعَنِ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَاللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنَا. (الاختيار لتعليل المختار)

It (Witr) does not have a specified supplication (Dua). However, it is narrated that the Prophet used to recite: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك, and اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي. (Imam Abu al-Fadl al-Mowsili, al-Ikhtiyaar).

وَلَيْسَ فِي الْقُنُوتِ دُعَاءٌ مُؤَقَّتٌ. كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَقْرَأَ اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك وَيَقْرَأُ بَعْدَهُ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنَا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْت. (الفتاوى الهندية)

It (Witr) does not have a specified supplication (Dua). Tabyeen mentioned this. However, it is best he recites: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك, and after it recite اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي. (al-Fataawa al-Hindiyah).

وَذَكَرَ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَنْ الْكَرْخِيِّ أَنَّ الْقُنُوتَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ دُعَاءٌ مُؤَقَّتٌ لِأَنَّهُ رُوِيَ عَنْ الصَّحَابَةِ أَدْعِيَةٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ. (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)

In al-Bahr he mentioned, narrating from al-Karkhi, that the Qunoot does not have a specified supplication (Dua). This is because various supplications were narrated from the Sahabah. (Imam Ibn Abideen, Radd al-Muhtaar).

وَلَيْسَ فِي الْقُنُوتِ دُعَاءٌ مُعَيَّنٌ سِوَى قَوْلِهِ: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك، فَإِنَّ الصَّحَابَةَ اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى هَذَا فِي الْقُنُوتِ، وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْدَهُ بِمَا عَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ فِي قُنُوتِهِ: اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْت. (العناية شرح الهداية)

Qunoot does not have a specified supplication (Dua), other than his saying: اللَّهُمَّ إنَّا نَسْتَعِينُك. Indeed the Sahabah were in agreement regarding this for Qunoot. However, it is superior for him to recite, after it, that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught (Sayidina) Hasan bin Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) for his Qunoot: اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ. (Imam Akmal al-Deen al-Babarti, al-Inayah Sharh al-Hidaayah).

دعاء قنوت الوتر أخرجه الأربعة عن أبي الحوراء عن الحسن بن علي – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – قال: ” علمني رسول الله – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – كلمات أقولهن في الوتر، وفي لفظ في قنوت الوتر: ” اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت وعافني فيمن عافيت. (البناية شرح الهداية)

The Dua of Qunoot for Witr was narrated by the four (Imams of Hadith) from Abi al-Howra, from Hasan bin Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both). He said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me words for me to say in the Witr prayer. In another version it states, words for the Qunoot of Witr: اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ . (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni, al-Binayah Sharh al-Hidaayah).

As we see in the Nusoos (texts) above, the Hanafi scholars recognised both versions of the Dua Qunoot. Some scholars even preferred the narration from Tirmidhi (اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ) over the one from the Musanaf (إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ، وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ). Unfortunately, however, some people do not recognise this flexibility and insist that the Hanafis are wrong. Such individuals say that the Hanafis are reciting the wrong Dua.

The approach of insisting a position is wrong, even when there is clear evidence for it, and it is from one of the Madhabs of Ahl al-Sunnah, is not only misguidance, but also leads to widespread confusion. Such an approach also contradicts the way of the Sahabah. This is because the Sahabah often differed with one another. Yet, they still managed to respect each other’s opinions. Therefore, the scholars of subsequent generations learned tolerance and flexibility from the Sahabah and incorporated it into the Madhabs of Ahl al-Sunnah.

Unfortunately, some people want to tear all of this down and insist that only the opinion they prefer is acceptable. (To them) Everything else is misguidance. Such individuals ignore the evidence of those who have a different opinion and insist that only they have proof.

Not only is the intolerant approach above wrong and contrary to the Sahabah, but it also leaves less time and opportunity to address genuine misguidance. There are many people promoting things that have no basis in Islam or contradict the fundamentals of Islam. However, a focus on refuting and undermining valid differences of opinion becomes a distraction from the genuine issues we are facing as an Ummah.

And Allah (Most High) Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (11.04.23)