What it is and when you say it
In the Hanafi school, this is the qunut said in the third rakat of witr: after the recitation, you say "Allahu Akbar", raise your hands, fold them again and say this dua, then go into ruku. It is narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab.
The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say "Allahumma ihdini fiman hadayt" in witr, which has its own page, and the Maliki school says these words in the qunut of Fajr. If you do not know this dua yet, Hanafi scholars allow a short dua such as "Rabbana atina" until you learn it.
Read the full guide: What are sunnah prayers, and do I have to pray them?
How to learn it by heart
- Read the whole text once with its meaning, so you know what you are saying.
- Learn one line at a time. Say it out loud until it flows, then add the next line.
- Hide the words little by little: first letters, then nothing. Tap a line when you need a look.
- Use it in your prayers right away. Repeating it five times a day is what makes it stay.
Common questions
Is the qunut in witr required?
In the Hanafi school it is wajib (necessary) in witr, all year. In the Hanbali school it is a sunnah all year, the Shafi'i school says it in witr in the second half of Ramadan, and the Maliki school does not say a qunut in witr.
Why are there two parts?
The dua has two sections, each starting with "Allahumma". Learn the first part, then the second: it is long, but the lines are short.
Hear every word
Revertly teaches new Muslims to pray from zero, with a recitation for every line, so you learn how it sounds, not only how it looks. Cannot afford it? Ask for a free code.