from ‘Alī ibn Maymūn al-Raqqī, who said: Mukhallad (1) ibn Yazīd narrated to us, from Sufyān, from Zubayd al-Yāmī, from Sa‘īd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abzā, from his father, from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would offer witr and recite the qunūt supplication before bowing.

Ahmad said, as reported by his son ‘Abd Allāh (2): I prefer qunūt after bowing. All that is authentically established from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning qunūt relates only to the Fajr prayer, when he raised his head from bowing. For qunūt in witr, I prefer it after bowing. Nothing authentic has been reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning qunūt in witr, whether before or after bowing.

Al-Khallāl said: Muhammad ibn Yahyā al-Kahhāl informed me that he asked Abū ‘Abd Allāh about qunūt in witr, and he replied: Nothing is narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning it, but ‘Umar used (3) to recite qunūt from one year to the next.

Ahmad and the compilers of the Sunan collections (4) narrated a hadith from al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, taught me words to say in the qunūt of witr:

“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 what You have given me, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. You decree, and none can decree over You. Whoever You befriend is never humiliated. Blessed and exalted are You, our Lord.”

Al-Nasā’ī and al-Bayhaqī added (5): “And whoever You oppose is never honoured.”