QA-ID-0057
QUESTION
In witr prayer, for the 3rd rakaat, a person should recite dua qunoot. If he does not know that, then he can recite any other duas.
A few people have said that they were told that they could recite surah ikhlaas instead 3 or 5 times, and that would suffice.
I’ve not come across that in any of the books. I just wanted to know if you have come across this opinion and which duas are recommended to recite if a person does not know dua qunoot?
ANSWER
﷽
Qunūt itself is wājib, but the particular du’ā known as the du’ā of qunūt is considered sunnah, not wājib. If someone is unfamiliar with the du’ā of qunūt, they can recite any du’ā instead. The following options have been mentioned specifically in fiqh texts –
Recite:
رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِی الدُّنۡیَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِی الۡاٰخِرَۃِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Or recite thrice:
اللّهُمَّ اغْفِرلي
Or recite thrice:
يا رب
(See Radd al-Muhtār)
However, if someone recites Sūrah al-Ikhlās instead, it also fulfills the wājib of qunūt, as Sūrah al-Ikhlās is both dhikr and praise of Allāh, and every dhikr is essentially a supplication (al-Fatāwā al-Ridawiyyah 5/722). Nonetheless, this practice of reciting Surah al-Ikhlās during qunūt should not be encouraged since it is better to learn the du’ā of qunūt in order to fulfill the sunnah.
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allāh Knows Best
Muhammad Kalim Misbahi
