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Necessary and emphasised acts

WajibStrongly emphasised

Witr and Dua Qunoot

Witr should be handled carefully: it is not one of the five obligatory prayers, but it is also not something to present as unimportant.

Category

Necessary and emphasised acts

Sahih Muslim 752a

Witr is part of the night prayer and is treated with real importance in Sunni teaching.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشَى عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحِقٌ

Allahummainnanasta'inukawanastaghfirukawanu'minubikawanatawakkalu'alaykawanuthni'alaykal-khayrawanashkurukawalanakfurukawanakhla'uwanatrukumanyafjuruk

Allahummaiyyakana'buduwalakanusalliwanasjuduwailaykanas'awanahfiduwanarjurahmatakawanakhsha'adhabakainna'adhabakabil-kuffarimulhiq

O Allah, we seek Your help and Your forgiveness, we believe in You and rely upon You, we praise You with all good, we thank You and do not deny You, and we renounce and leave whoever disobeys You. O Allah, You alone we worship, to You we pray and prostrate, and toward You we strive and hasten. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment. Surely Your punishment will overtake the disbelievers.

Witr is prayed after Isha. It should be clearly distinguished from the five daily farḍ prayers, while still being treated as an important part of a Muslim's prayer life.
Many Muslims learn Witr early because it keeps the night prayer connected to worship, steadiness, and care after the last obligatory prayer of the day.
Dua qunoot is often learned with Witr as part of that growing prayer routine.
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