Volume - IV / CHAPTER - 2 / LESSON NO: 16
ABOUT "WITR"
Q 1: Is "Witr" prayer "Waajib" or Sunnat?
A. "Witr" is "Waajib". The Prophetic sayings lay great stress on offering "Witr" prayer. Once the Holy Prophet reiterated thrice: "Witr is the truth. He is not from us who does not offer Witr prayer." It is very sinful not to offer Witr prayer deliberately and without any valid reason and it has to be essentially offered if missed intentionally or unintentionally. No matter how long time has elapsed.
Q 2: How many Rak'ahs are there in Witr prayer and how to be offered?
A. Witr prayer consists of three Rak'ahs and "Qa'ada Ulaa" is Waajib in it. Likewise, Surah Faatehah has to be followed by any other Surah in every Rak'ah. The method of offering Witr prayer is that one should stand up from "Qa'adah Ulaa" after having recited "Tashah-hud" (neither recite Durood Shareef nor Salaam) for the third Rak'ah in which he should, after having done "Qiraa-at" lift his hands upto the ears saying Allah-o-Akbar (as is done in Takbir-e-
Tahreemah) and then fold them below the navel and
recite Du'aa-e-Qunoot in soft voice. This rule is
equally applicable to all i.e. Imaam, Muqtadi and
individual.
Recitation of Du'aa-e-Qunoot in Witr prayer is
Waajib.
Q 3: What should one do who has not committed Du'aa-e-Qunoot to memory?
A. The one who has not committed Du'aa-e-Qunoot to his memory or he can not recite it, should recite: "Allahumma Rabbanaa Aatenaa Fidduniyaa Hasanata-oon wa Fil Aakherati Hasanata-oon wa Qinaa 'Azaaban Naar" or recite: "Allaa-hummagh Firlee" three times. If one can not recite even this then he should recite at least "Yaa Rabbu" thrice.
Q 4: Should "Masbooq" recite Du'aa-e-Qunoot with the Imaam or later?
A. "Masbooq: (the one who joins Jama'at after some Rak'ahs) should recite Du'aa-e-Qunoot with the Imaam (not later) and if he joined Jama'at (Imaam) in Rukoo of third Rak'ah then he is not required to recite Du'aa-e-Qunoot in the remaining prayer which he has to complete because having found Rukoo of third Rak'ah he has actually found third Rak'ah and thus Du'aa-e-Qunoot too. So no need to recite Du'aa-e-Qunoot again.
Q 5: What should a Muqtadi do if he has not yet completed Du'aa-e-Qunoot and Imaam has gone into Rukoo?
A. If Muqtadi has not yet completed Du'aa-e-Qunoot and Imaam has gone into Rukoo then he should follow the Imaam (i.e. observe Rukoo) giving up Du'aa-e-Qunoot.