Qunut: guidance, dependence and protection

One established Qunut asks for guidance, wellbeing, protective care, blessing in what Allah gives and protection from the evil of what He decrees. It affirms His sole authority to decree and that those He protects are not disgraced.

Another asks help and forgiveness, affirms belief and praise, rejects ingratitude and association with defiance, dedicates prayer and prostration to Allah and expresses striving, hope in His mercy and fear of punishment. A further form seeks refuge in His pleasure and pardon and acknowledges the limits of our praise.

Qunut’s timing, prayer, frequency and wording are not uniform across the four schools. Use the Four Schools comparison and the selected-school Witr walkthrough; do not assume that all three forms belong in every prayer.