cursing the unbelievers, invoking blessings upon the Prophet, seeking forgiveness for the believing men and women, and making his petitions, he would say: ‘O Allah, You alone we worship; to You we pray and prostrate; toward You we strive, and we hasten to serve You. We hope for Your mercy, O our Lord, and fear Your punishment, which is certain. Indeed, Your punishment will surely overtake those whom You have taken as enemies.’” (1).

Note:

It is authentically established from Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say at the end of his Witr: “O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, in Your protection from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot adequately praise You; You are as You have praised Yourself.” (2).

I say: Al-Tirmidhī included this hadith in this form in “Chapter on the Supplication of Witr”; al-Nasā’ī in “Chapter on Supplication in Witr”; Abū Dāwūd in “Chapter on Qunūt in Witr”; and Ibn Mājah in “Chapter on What Has Been Reported Concerning Qunūt in Witr.”

The rationale for this was indicated by al-Sindī in his Gloss on al-Nasā’ī, where he said: “The words, ‘He would say at the end of his Witr,’ may mean that he said it at the end of the standing, in which case it would form part of the qunūt, as the compiler’s presentation implies. Alternatively, they may mean that he said it while seated for the tashahhud, which is the apparent meaning of the wording.” (3) End quote.

However, al-Nasā’ī also narrated this hadith in his book The Practice of the Day and Night, as did Ibn