Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr

Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr (Explanation of the Supplication for the Qunut of Witr) is a concise treatise by Ibn Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE) expounding the meaning and theological implications of the prophetic supplication recited during the Qunut of the Witr prayer.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr

Origin and Publication

The material of the treatise originated from lectures delivered by Ibn Uthaymin during the month of Ramadan at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Muhammad al-Harbi presented the compiled text to the author for verification and prepared its first edition in 1417 AH.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr The Scientific Committee at the Shaykh Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaimin Charitable Foundation subsequently collated the text against the author’s approved copy and published it as an independent work on 15 Sha'ban 1424 AH, appending two related legal questions answered by the author.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr

Contents and Structure

The book provides a phrase-by-phrase commentary on the hadith recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Abi Dawud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah, in which al-Hasan ibn Ali reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught him words to say in the Qunut of Witr:Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت، وعافني فيمن عافيت، وتولني فيمن توليت، وبارك لي فيما أعطيت، وقني شر ما قضيت، فإنك تقضي ولا يقضى عليك، إنه لا يذل من واليت، تبارك ربنا وتعاليت ("O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being, take me into Your care among those You have taken into Your care, bless me in what You have given, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed; for You decree and none can decree against You, and indeed he whom You befriend is never humiliated; blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted.")Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr

The commentary addresses each sentence in order:

• Divine Guidance: Ibn Uthaymin explains that the supplication asks for both forms of guidance: the guidance of knowledge and clarity (hidayat al-ilm wal-bayan) and the guidance of successful adherence and practice (hidayat al-tawfiq wal-amal).Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr
• Well-Being: The petition for well-being encompasses physical health as well as preservation from spiritual illnesses of the heart, dividing the latter into diseases of desires (shahawat) rooted in base passion and diseases of misconceptions (shubuhat) rooted in ignorance.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr
• Divine Care and Guardianship: The commentary distinguishes between universal guardianship (al-wilayah al-ammah), which applies over all creation through divine management, and specific guardianship (al-wilayah al-khassah), which is granted to believers through faith and piety (iman and taqwa).Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr+1
• Blessing: Blessing (barakah) is defined linguistically as abundant and enduring good in one's wealth, progeny, and knowledge, with the author highlighting that the blessing of knowledge multiplies when it is taught and propagated.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr+1
• Divine Decree: The text clarifies the theological distinction between God's decree (al-qada'), which is entirely good and devoid of evil, and the decreed event (al-maqdi), which may involve hardship or adversity (such as drought) intended for a praiseworthy purpose, such as turning humanity back to obedience.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr
• Sovereignty and Honour: It examines God's absolute cosmic and legislative authority over creation, noting that those befriended by God can never be humiliated, while those opposed to Him cannot attain genuine honor.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr+1
• Divine Transcendence and Attributes: It concludes with the praise of God's abundant goodness and His essential and qualitative loftiness (al-uluww al-dhati wal-wasfi), followed by an explanation of the customary phrase recited by imams, «هب المسيئين منا للمحسنين» ("Pardon the wrongdoers among us for the sake of the righteous"), interpreting it as a form of intercession.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr+1

Appended Fatwas

The published edition appends two fatwas by the author:

1. Supplications in Qunut: Ibn Uthaymin states that it is permissible to add further supplications to this specific wording, preferring concise, comprehensive prophetic supplications (jawami al-dua), and advising prayer leaders not to overburden the congregation by making the Qunut overly long.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr
2. Conditions for Accepted Supplication: In addressing why an answer to prayer might seem delayed, he outlines the essential prerequisites for supplication, including sincere intention (ikhlas), an earnest sense of dire need of God, abstaining from unlawful earnings (al-haram), raising the hands, and entreating God through His divine name al-Rabb.Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr+1Sharh Dua Qunut al-Witr