Learn About the Importance of Dua Qunoot
The night is a special time for worship. In the Islamic faith, one of the most potent times for calling out to God with our problems and needs is while everyone else is asleep. For this reason, we have a specific, comprehensive prayer called Dua Qunoot, which is read at night.
Some people might read it before bed while others may wake up in the last third of the night, before dawn, to recite it. This is because the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) taught us in a quote from the Quran that God descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says, “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” (Bukhari 1145).
Dua Qunoot is especially popular during the month of Ramadan because the nights are very blessed; people make an extra effort to stay awake. This is especially true for the last 10 nights of the holiday leading up to Eid al-Fitr, where the imam, the prayer leader of a mosque, will lengthen Dua Qunoot for up to half an hour in congregation.
What is a Dua?
Dua is an Arabic word that means “to call.” Dua is the act of calling out to God to tell Him our feelings and needs. It’s turning to God, laying it all out, and expecting Him to answer to our call.
While calling out to God, we are in acknowledgment that He takes care of our needs, wants, and problems with His power and wisdom. This is backed by verse 2:186 in the Quran, “and when My servant asks you about Me, then tell them I am near. I answer the call of every believer when they call upon me so let them also answer my call and believe in me so they may find rightful guidance.”
Why Dua is important
Dua is the essence of Islamic worship because it exemplifies the notion of placing our beliefs in a higher power. We admit that we are limited as humans in our resources, our capacity, our knowledge, and our power. We don’t have all the answers. Even though we experience uncertainty at times, which can be scary, God has power over all things, and He can carry us through whatever we are facing. This belief helps worshipers feel empowered rather than helpless and bolsters their sense of hope.
What is Dua Qunoot?
Dua Qunoot is a specific “call” that’s made late at night during the last prayer. It is always made in Arabic. There are a few versions of it, each asking for slightly different things.
Here is the English translation of one version of Dua Qunoot, offered by Seekers Guidance:
“O God, verily we seek Your help and Your guidance. We ask for Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance. We believe in You and place our trust in You. We praise You every good praise; we thank You and we do not reject You. We cast out and abandon anyone who disobeys You. O God, You alone do we worship, and for your sake alone do we pray and prostrate. To You alone do we earnestly strive and hasten. We hope for your mercy and fear Your punishment; verily, your true punishment will be meted out to the disbelievers.”
Another version of Dua Qunoot, offered by the Yaqeen Institute, has a different meaning with the English translation as follows:
“O God, guide me among those whom You have guided, grant me well-being among those whom You have granted well-being, befriend me among those to whom You have befriended, bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. Truly, You decree and none can decree against You; one whom You have befriended is not humiliated. Blessed are You and exalted.”
Both versions are popular, and either can be used in prayer. The first one includes more praise of God in beautifully laid out words and descriptions. It also includes pleas for help, forgiveness, and mercy. The second version includes pleas for well-being, friendship with God, and protection from evil.
When is Dua Qunoot recited?
Dua Qunoot is recited in the Witr salah, which is the last cycle of prayer in the evening Isha salah. Dua Qunoot can be read independently or in a congregation. In the holy month of Ramadan, for example, the Witr prayer is conducted communally, and Dua Qunoot is read aloud by the imam for everyone to follow and pray amen to.
As mentioned before, in Ramadan, the imam may make the Dua Qunoot longer, adding in more requests and needs that affect the congregation they are leading. This may include things such as peace in certain climates and lands, freedom from debts, health for those who are ill, guidance for singles looking for the right spouse to marry, or blessings for those trying to conceive a baby, amongst other things.
The entire call to God may last up to 30 minutes for each of the 10 final nights of Ramadan. This is because the nights of Ramadan are the most blessed nights of the year, and it is during these last ten nights that the Night of Power takes place, the most blessed night of the year. It is the hope of every caller that their call is made out on the Night of Power, so it's guaranteed to manifest.
You Might Also Like
