qunūt in the dawn prayer and in the night prayer as well.

This is further clarified by the following: those who consider it a Sunnah practice in prayer to offer qunūt regularly using the supplication of al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī or the two surahs of Ubayy have no evidence beyond a supplication offered on a particular occasion. When qunūt is prescribed in prayer, it is prescribed for the imam, those praying behind him, and someone praying alone. More clearly still, if someone were to make the qunūt of al-Hasan or the two surahs of Ubayy a regular Sunnah practice in the sunset and night prayers, his position would resemble that of someone who makes this a regular Sunnah practice in the dawn prayer. For the latter have no evidence concerning the dawn prayer except qunūt offered on a particular occasion, with a supplication suited to that occasion. No Muslim has transmitted any other supplication for its qunūt, just as none has been transmitted for the sunset and night prayers.

Some scholars fell into this misunderstanding concerning the dawn prayer only because qunūt was offered in it more often, and because it is longer, with qunūt corresponding to the prayer in this respect. Reports reached them that he had offered it continually, so they thought that the Sunnah was to observe it regularly. Then, finding no Sunnah report specifying his supplication, they prescribed these supplications transmitted for the witr prayer, although they do not regard this as a regular Sunnah practice in witr.

This disagreement over qunūt has many parallels in Islamic law. Often, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would do something for a particular reason, and some people would make it a Sunnah practice without distinguishing between a regular Sunnah and an occasional one. Others, seeing that he did not do it most of the time, regard it as an innovation. If reports of his doing it on certain occasions have reached them, they treat this as a special case or as something subsequently abrogated. An example is offering voluntary prayers in congregation. It is established in the Sahīh that “he prayed at night, with Ibn