Short answer
In the Hanafi school you recite qunoot in the third rakah of witr, before ruku, every night of the year. After al-Fatiha and a surah you say "Allahu akbar" raising your hands, then recite it. Qunoot is wajib, so if you forget it and go into ruku, carry on and do sajdah sahw at the end.
Reciting a qunoot in witr is wajib. The known du'a "Allahumma inna nasta'inuka" is sunnah, but any du'a fulfils the wajib. If you forgot it and remembered in ruku, do not go back to standing; complete the prayer and do sajdah sahw.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Qunoot in witr is sunnah only in the second half of Ramadan, recited after rising from ruku. The Shafi'is also recite qunoot in Fajr.
- Maliki
- The well-known view is that there is no qunoot in witr; the Maliki qunoot is in Fajr.
- Hanbali
- Qunoot is sunnah in witr all year, usually after ruku, though before ruku is also allowed.
Explanation
Witr in the Hanafi school is three rakats with one salam. In the third rakah, after al-Fatiha and a surah, you say "Allahu akbar" and raise your hands to your ears as at the start of the prayer, fold them again, and recite the qunoot quietly. Then you say "Allahu akbar" and go into ruku. Ubayy ibn Ka'b reported that the Prophet ﷺ prayed witr as three rakats and made qunoot before ruku.
Which du'a? The Hanafi preference is the qunoot that begins "Allahumma inna nasta'inuka wa nastaghfiruk". You can learn it with transliteration on our dua qunoot page. Any du'a in Arabic fulfils the duty, so if you have not learned it yet:
- recite "Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina 'adhaban-nar", or
- say "Allahummaghfir li" three times, or "Ya Rabb" three times.
Keep learning the full qunoot; this is a stopgap, not a replacement.
Mistakes:
- Forgot it and remembered in ruku: do not return to standing. Finish the prayer and do sajdah sahw.
- Forgot it entirely: sajdah sahw at the end. If you did not do sahw either, repeat the witr.
- Behind an imam: the follower recites the qunoot quietly with the imam.
See how to pray witr, is witr wajib and sajdah sahw.
The evidence
Sunan an-Nasa'i 1699
Grading to be checked... كان يوتر بثلاث ركعات كان يقرأ في الأولى ...
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray witr as three rakats, reciting al-A'la, al-Kafirun and al-Ikhlas, and he made qunoot before ruku."
Shows three rakats of witr and qunoot before ruku, as the Hanafi school teaches.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on witr. Qunoot in witr before ruku, throughout the year, with a takbir and raised hands before it.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on witr. Qunoot is wajib; one who does not know it says Rabbana atina or asks forgiveness three times.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on witr and nawafil. If he forgets qunoot and remembers in ruku he does not return; he does sajdah sahw.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.