A wake up call!!!
A couple of days back, my fourteen years old neice and i were offering our Isha prayer together at my place when, right before Witr salah she asked me to say aloud Dua-e-Qunoot/Qunut so she can revise and this is what happened next:
Me: (With my heart filled with nothing but embarrassment and humiliation, i said to her) Girl i would love to but the thing is, i don’t know Dua-e-Qanoot, i havn’t learned it by heart yet.
She:(Rattled, she looked at me with that strange look in her eyes, adding insult to injury every second.) Oh well guess i’ll just have to read Surah-e-Ikhlas.
Me: (wow! stop right there girl, Surah-e-Ikhlas, no no no, don’t make the same mistake, please learn from me. Okay here it goes.) Girl did u know that you’r suppose to read some dua in witr, not Surah-e-Ikhlas. Its a common misconception. I don’t know who and how it started but all i know is that i just found about it two years back, and now i read this dua from The Holy Quran :
“Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil ‘akhirati hasanatan waqina ‘adhaban-nar.”
“Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.” (2:201)
It is best to recite the specific dua as in Dua-e-Qunoot. Memorize it; its short. But until you do, you can recite any other dua. But it should be carefully noted that what you recite should be a dua and Surah-e-Ikhlas is no way near a dua. What really surprised me was that it’s such a huge misconception. A large number of muslims are still out there who won’t have a single clue, because someone, maybe her mom or dad or someother relative must have told her to do so,and the same thing happened to me and God knows how many of us are still out there misinformed, trying to do the right thing,but ended up doing it all wrong, oblivious of their right to question. Question their parents, their mentors. So from now onwards’ don’t hesitate to ask why’s and what’s. And get evryone you know to know about it too. Ask them what they recite in Witr salah, and why? Because it’s their right to know and your duty to make sure they do.
Take care.
hey thanx…would surely do that…
I’m glad i could help.
Oh my GOD….Jazak Allah for sharing it!
as i have been doing the same mistake for the past many years
Such an embarrassing thing that i havent learnt it even:S
I would surely lean it really soon=)
Love!!
A good Wakeup call indeed. These are the things, which must come first.
regards.
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its good that u r sharing such things, because still many of us knows that thing but dun bother to share it becuase we thinks that it is a thing of very minor importance, but now when u shared it, it has created a huge difference, i am sure everyonw who is reading ur post will revise it for sure! Jazak Allah!
@ Moshay: You better girl
or else…
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I appreciate your visit and will surely check it out soon insha ALLAH. Thanks. JazakAllah 
@Karl: Heyyy you said jazakAllah, hehe thats nice.
Waaalaikum JazakAllah.
its really good that u have shared this incidence. i hav got hold of a prayer guidance book n trying to learn the right way of offering prayers.
Hmm interesting … I learnt duay e qunut as something essentially part of namaaz and not something separate from it … hence from beginning it was never something I was not ease with.
I’ve seen mothers less emthusiastic about these essentials and more fussy about their l\children learning other stuff. My own parents made it sure that me and my siblings were part of a summer camp in our summer holidays meant essentially for renewing of what we already knew and learning more including quranic translations, ayahs, duas, ahadith, and lots of other stuff.
I, always recite, Rabbana aatina fid-duniyaa … as the last dua before saying salam …!
its really great u shared it Jazak Allah. but i always though that surah ikhlas was a dua.
thanx for such eye opening article…i m also used to recite surah IKhlas..regular in offering prayers but never care to learn dua-e-Qunoot..we go for short cuts even in prayers…curse!!
Yeah, i know it is the same case with a lot of us. I usually forget it too and constantly have to revise it in order to remember it
Thank you for sharing something so important with everyone around here. I was one of the people who didn’t know Dua -e – Qunoot for the longest time but then I dont know how I pushed myself to learn it by heart. Now Alhamdulillah I know it by heart…….at times its a little push that we all need……….thank you for being the pushing element here
Awww gee, you can’t imagine how imensly gratified i feel right now to hear that.
Jazak Allah.
You make me proud girl, you make me proud.
Salam Walaikum,
Well masha-Allah nice sharings… Jazak Allah..
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i checked out your website Mr. Hashmi, it’s quite commendable. But why don’t you allow comments for clarity of comfusions, if ssomeone has a question regarding your article. Or any other blog where people can send queries.
Jazak Allah
Thanx for ur comments |eemz
i am working on it,
Alhumdolillah my new site is also on
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tc
Dear Leemz
Al hamdullilah – below is the dua Qunut/Qunoot that should be prayed during witr prayers.
“Rabana Ataina Fi Dunia” is the dua u say after u have said your salam, and not in witr
Allah is most forgiving and May Allah subhan wa tala guide us and increase our knowledge in Islam – Ameen
PS : the dua Qunoot looks like its long and difficult but its really easy –
i say the 1st dua Qunut
Salaatul Witr
The Isha (Night) prayer also includes Witr prayer which is composed of three rak’aat. In the third rak’a after reading the Sura after Al-Fatihah the following dua should be read:
Dua Qunut
Transliteration: Allah humma inna nast’eenuka wa nastaghfiruka wa nu’minu bika wa natawak-kalu ‘alayka wa nuthne ‘alayk-al khayr.
Wa nashkuruka wa laaa nakfuruka wa nakhla’u wa natruku man-y yafjuruka.
Allah humma iyyaka na’budu wa laka nusal-lee wa nasjudu wa ilayka nas’a wa nahfidu wa narju rahmataka wa nakhsha ‘azabaka
Inna ‘azabaka bil kuf-fari mulhiq.
Translation: Oh Allah, we ask you for help and seek your forgiveness, and we believe in You and have trust in You, and we praise you in the best way
And we thank You and we are not ungrateful to you, and we forsake and turn away from the one who disobeys you.
O Allah, we worship You only and pray to You and prostrate ourselves before You, and we run towards You and serve You, and we hope to receive your mercy, and we fear your punishment.
Surely, the disbelievers will receive your punishment.
or, you may recite this dua:
Transliteration: Allah hum mahdinee feeman hadayta,
Wa ‘afinee feeman ‘afayta,
wata wal-lane feeman twal-layta
wa barik lee feema a’taita,
waqinee shar-ra ma qadayta,
fa-innaka taqdee wala yuqda ‘alayk,
innahu laa Yazil-lu man walayt,
wala ya’iz-zu man ‘adaita,
tabarakta rabbana wata ‘alaita,
nastaghfiruka wanatubu ilayka,
Wa sal-lal lahu alan-nabee.
Translation: Oh Allah, make me among those whom You have guided,
and make me among those whom You have saved, and make
me among those whom You have chosen, and bless whatever
you have given me, and protect me from the evil which you have decreed; verily, You decide the things and nobody can decide against You; and none whom You have committed to Your care shall be humiliated and none whom You have taken as an enemy shall taste glory. You are blessed, our Lord, and Exalted, we ask for Your forgiveness and turn to You. Peace and mercy of Allah be upon the Prophet.