Section: Is the dua of Witr obligatory, and what should a person say if he cannot memorize it?

1. There is noting wrong with reading the dua of Qunoot from a piece of paper or a booklet in Witr prayer until one is able to memorize it, after which you can stop reading it and can recite it from memory. It is also permissible to recite Qur’aan from the Mus-haf during naafil prayers for those who have not memorized a lot of Qur’aan.Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked about the ruling on reading Qur’aan from the Mus-haf in Taraaweeh prayer, and what the evidence is for that from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. He replied: There is nothing wrong with reading from the Mus-haf when praying at night during Ramadaan because that will enable the believers to hear all of the Qur’aan. And because the evidence of sharee’ah from the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicates that it is prescribed to recite Qur’aan in prayer, which includes both reading it from the Mus-haf and reciting it by heart. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (RA) that she told her freed slave Dhakwaan to lead her in praying night prayers during Ramadaan, and he used to read from the Mus-haf. This was narrated by al-Bukhaari (Ra) in his Saheeh, in a mu’allaq majzoom report. [Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/155]2. It is not obligatory for the dua of Qunoot to be in the words narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ); rather it is permissible for the worshipper to say other words or to add to them. Even if he were to recite verses from the Qur’aan that include words of supplication, that would be sufficient. Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Note that there is no specific dua for Qunoot according to the preferred point of view. Any dua that is said will serve as Qunoot, even if one recites a verse or verses from the Qur’aan that include words of supplication, this will count as Qunoot, but it is better to recite the words that were narrated in the Sunnah. [Al-Adhkaar al-Nawawiyyah, p. 50]3. As for what the brother mentions about reciting Qur’aan instead of the dua of Qunoot, there is no doubt that he should not do this, because the purpose behind Qunoot is dua or supplication. Hence if these verses include words of supplication, it is permissible to recite them as Qunoot, for example, the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ﴿٨﴾ “Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:8]4. With regard to what the brother says about Qunoot being obligatory, this is not correct, because Qunoot is Sunnah. Based on this, if a worshipper omits Qunoot, his prayer is still valid.Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on reciting the dua of Qunoot in Witr during the nights of Ramadaan, and whether it is permissible to omit it.He replied: Qunoot is Sunnah in Witr and if a person omits it sometimes, there is nothing wrong with that.And he was asked about a person who always recites Qunoot in Witr every night – was that narrated from our forebears (the salaf)?He replied: There is nothing wrong with that, rather it is Sunnah, because when the Prophet (ﷺ) taught al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) to say Qunoot in Witr, he did not tell him to omit it sometimes or to do it all the time. This indicates that either is permissible. Hence it was narrated that when Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) led the Sahaabah in prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ), he used to omit Qunoot some nights; perhaps that was in order to teach the people that it is not obligatory. And Allaah is the Source of strength. [Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/159]