Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Can you provide me with detailed instruction on how one may perform the Witr prayer correctly in the Shaf’i school? I read the instructions from the Reliance of the Traveller and I don’t feel that I have understood it the best.
I am confused about the right manner of performing dua Qunut in the final rak’a in that whether one should raise one’s hands in dua, keep them folded, or have them to one’s side.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Qunut
You will find all the details here:
Reciting the Fajr Qunut Behind the Imam in Shafi’i Fiqh
The Shafi’i Qunut – Part I
The Shafi’i Qunut – Part II
Hands
In summary, one raises one’s hands while supplicating, without wiping the face afterwards. When one comes to the point of saying, “Wa qina sharra ma qadayt” one turns one’s hands over (palms facing the floor) and then turns them up again when one has finished saying that line.
See the details here:
How Should the Hands Be Held During Supplication?
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.