Duas for Witr: Complete Guide to the Qunoot Supplication

There is something about the last prayer of the night that hits differently.

The day is done. The excuses are done. You are alone — just you, the prayer mat, and the One who never sleeps. Witr is that moment. And the qunoot inside Witr is the purest asking you can do.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Make the last of your prayers at night Witr." (Bukhari 998) He did not just mean in timing — he meant in quality. The Witr should be the capstone of the day. And the qunoot dua is its heart.

The Duas

The full qunoot dua (as taught to Al-Hasan ibn Ali):

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

Allahumma ihdini feeman hadayt, wa 'afini feeman 'afayt, wa tawallani feeman tawallayt, wa barik li feema a'tayt, wa qini sharra ma qadayt. Innaka taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk, wa innahu la yadhillu man walayt. Tabarakta Rabbana wa ta'alayt.

"O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, grant me well-being among those whom You have granted well-being, befriend me among those whom You have befriended, bless for me what You have given me, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. Indeed, You decree and none can decree against You. Surely, he is not humiliated whom You befriend. You are blessed, our Lord, and exalted." — (Abu Dawud 1425)

The salutation at the end of qunoot (added after the above in the Hanbali and Shafi'i traditions):

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad.

After completing Witr — recite three times:

سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ

Subhanal-Malikil-Quddoos.

"Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy."

The Prophet would say this three times after Witr, raising his voice on the third repetition. (Abu Dawud 1430)

The Story Behind It

The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not compose the qunoot dua and hand it to Al-Hasan ibn Ali at random. The hadith says:

عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَلِمَاتٍ أَقُولُهُنَّ فِي الْوِتْرِ

"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) taught me words to say in Witr." — (Abu Dawud 1425)

He taught his grandson personally. The qunoot was not a formula to memorize — it was a transmission of how to ask Allah.

Look at what the qunoot asks for. It does not ask for wealth, fame, or ease. It asks for:

• Guidance among the guided
• Wellbeing among those granted wellbeing
• Blessings in what you have been given (not more, but barakah in what is already there)
• Protection from the evil of what has been decreed

That last request is profound. Qini sharra ma qadayt — protect me from the evil of what You have already decreed. It is an acknowledgment that decrees come from Allah and a request that their worst consequences be averted. It is tawakkul and dua in the same breath.

The dua ends with a declaration: taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk — You decree, and none can decree against You. You remind yourself of this truth every single night in Witr. And over months and years, that reminder shapes how you face every difficult thing that comes.

How to Make Witr Qunoot Deeper

Most people who pray Witr rush through the qunoot. They say the Arabic quickly, with their minds elsewhere, and then finish. That is a missed opportunity.

Memorize it section by section:

The qunoot has natural pauses — six requests followed by three declarations. Learn one section at a time. Take a week to memorize Allahumma ihdini feeman hadayt. Then add the next. Full memorization within a month is completely achievable.

Mean each line as you say it:

Allahumma ihdini — pause on guidance. What decisions in your life right now need Allah's guidance? Who are the people you know who have been guided? Ask to be among them, not abstractly, but because you see what that guidance looks like and you want it.

Wa qini sharra ma qadayt — what has been difficult in your life that you do not yet understand? This is the line to hold while you say it. You are asking Allah to protect you from the worst of what has been decreed — in your family, your work, your health, your iman.

Add personal dua after the qunoot:

After the established dua, there is room. The Companions would add their own requests in qunoot. Ask for your parents. Ask for your spouse or children. Ask for the ummah. The door is open — use it before you complete the prayer.

Use it as your daily audit:

Witr is the last prayer. Before you say Allahu Akbar, think about the day. What happened that needs forgiveness? What are you worried about for tomorrow? Bring those into the qunoot. The prayer becomes personal, not performative.

Make Witr the Best Prayer of Your Day

DeenBack helps you track your nightly Witr and qunoot habit — building the consistency that turns this short prayer into the most powerful part of your day.

Free download. Premium features available in-app.

Related Duas

Duas for Taraweeh: Witr follows Taraweeh in Ramadan. Read the dua for Taraweeh guide for how to deepen the prayers before Witr as well.

Duas for Qunoot: For a deeper exploration of the qunoot prayer across different contexts (including when calamity strikes), see the duas for qunoot guide.

Dua for sleeping: After Witr, you go to sleep. Complete your night with the dua for sleeping to seal the day properly.

A shorter alternative if you are still memorizing the full qunoot:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-aakhirati hasanatan wa qina adhaban-nar.

"Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire." — (Quran 2:201)

Common Questions

Does Witr have to be one rakah?

Witr can be 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 rakahs depending on the school of thought and the hadith one follows. The minimum is 1 rakah. What matters is that it is odd-numbered, it is your last prayer of the night, and you make the qunoot in the final rakah. Whether 1 or 11, the qunoot dua is the same.

I sometimes pray Tahajjud after sleeping. Should I move Witr to after Tahajjud?

Yes. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Make Witr your last prayer at night." (Bukhari 998) If you reliably wake for Tahajjud, pray Witr after it. If you are not sure you will wake, pray Witr before sleeping — protecting the prayer is more important than its ideal placement.

What if I forget the qunoot or cannot remember it mid-prayer?

You can make any dua you know in that position — even in your own language, according to many scholars. Say Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan (Quran 2:201) if you cannot remember the qunoot. Then work on memorizing the full dua for future nights. Missing the qunoot does not invalidate the Witr.

Closing

Witr is the last word you say to Allah before sleep. Make it a real conversation.

The qunoot is seven lines that cover guidance, wellbeing, provision, protection, and the acknowledgment of Allah's absolute sovereignty. It is everything you need, compressed into a two-minute supplication.

Say it tonight. Mean each line. Then sleep knowing you ended the day with honesty before your Lord.

End Every Day With Consistent Witr

DeenBack tracks your nightly prayers and dhikr — helping you build the habit of ending each day with Witr and the qunoot that shapes your heart over time.

Free download. Premium features available in-app.