What is qunut in witr prayer, and how is it performed?

Qunut is a short supplication recited standing during witr prayer, usually in its final rak'ah. The Prophet Muhammad taught his grandson Hasan ibn Ali specific words to say in qunut, beginning 'Allahumma-hdini feeman hadait' ('O Allah, guide me among those You have guided...'), asking for guidance, well-being, protection, and blessing (Jami at-Tirmidhi 464). Practice differs by school: the Hanafi school holds that qunut is recited in every witr prayer, after an additional takbir following the Quranic recitation and before bowing. The Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools generally consider it recommended rather than required in every witr, with some limiting regular qunut to the second half of Ramadan and reciting it after rising from the final bowing rather than before. Hands are typically raised during the supplication, as in other du'as. Missing qunut does not invalidate the witr prayer in any school; it is a recommended addition rather than a pillar. Qunut in witr should be distinguished from qunut al-nazilah, a similar supplication added to obligatory prayers during times of communal calamity, which is a separate practice tied to specific hardship rather than routine worship.

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