Many parents tell us the same thing: their child prays Isha, but finds Witr hard because they have not memorised dua e qunoot yet. This dua is special. The Prophet ﷺ himself taught it to his grandson Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for the Witr prayer. Once your child learns it with the correct words and meaning, Witr becomes easy and full of feeling.
What Is Dua e Qunoot?
The word "qunoot" means standing before Allah in humble prayer. Dua e qunoot is the dua recited while standing in Witr salah, the last prayer of the night. Witr is prayed in an odd number of rakats, usually after Isha.
This is not an ordinary dua. The Prophet ﷺ personally chose these words and taught them to Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), saying to recite them in the Witr prayer. That is why learning it correctly matters so much. The words ask Allah for guidance, health, protection, and blessing — everything a parent wants for their child.
Children usually learn this dua between ages 7 and 12, but it is never too late to start. Our 12 masnoon duain for kids post is a good place to revise the shorter daily duas first.
Dua e Qunoot in Arabic
Here is the full text with harakat (vowel marks). Ask your child to read it slowly from the Arabic script, not from Roman Urdu, so every word is pronounced correctly.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
ترجمہ: اے اللہ! مجھے ان لوگوں میں ہدایت عطا فرما جنہیں تو نے ہدایت دی ہے، ان لوگوں میں مجھے عافیت دے جنہیں تو نے عافیت دی ہے، اور ان لوگوں میں مجھے اپنی سرپرستی میں لے لے جنہیں تو نے اپنی سرپرستی میں لیا ہے۔ جو کچھ تو نے مجھے دیا ہے اس میں برکت دے، اور مجھے اس کے شر سے بچا جو تو نے مقدر کیا ہے۔ بے شک تو فیصلہ کرتا ہے اور تیرے خلاف کوئی فیصلہ نہیں ہو سکتا۔ بے شک وہ کبھی ذلیل نہیں ہوتا جسے تو اپنا دوست بنائے، اور وہ کبھی عزت نہیں پاتا جس سے تو دشمنی رکھے۔ تو بڑا بابرکت ہے، اے ہمارے رب، اور تو بلند ہے۔
O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being, and take me under Your care among those You have taken under Your care. Bless me in what You have given me, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. For You decree and no one decrees against You. Indeed, whoever You befriend is never humiliated, and whoever You oppose never attains honour. Blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted.
Sunan Abu Dawood 1425, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 464, Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745, Sunan Ibn Majah 1178 (graded sahih)
Urdu and English Meaning, Line by Line
Children memorise faster when they understand what they are saying. Go through this table with your child, one line at a time.
| Arabic phrase | اردو ترجمہ | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ | اے اللہ! مجھے ان لوگوں میں ہدایت دے جنہیں تو نے ہدایت دی ہے | O Allah, guide me among those You have guided. |
| وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ | اور ان لوگوں میں مجھے عافیت دے جنہیں تو نے عافیت دی ہے | Grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being. |
| وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ | اور ان لوگوں میں مجھے اپنی سرپرستی میں لے جنہیں تو نے اپنی سرپرستی میں لیا ہے | Take me under Your care among those You have taken under Your care. |
| وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ | اور جو کچھ تو نے مجھے دیا ہے اس میں برکت دے | Bless me in what You have given me. |
| وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ | اور مجھے اس کے شر سے بچا جو تو نے مقدر کیا ہے | Protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. |
| فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ | بے شک تو فیصلہ کرتا ہے اور تیرے خلاف کوئی فیصلہ نہیں ہو سکتا | For You decree, and no one decrees against You. |
| وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ | بے شک وہ کبھی ذلیل نہیں ہوتا جسے تو اپنا دوست بنائے | Indeed, whoever You befriend is never humiliated. |
| وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ | اور وہ کبھی عزت نہیں پاتا جس سے تو دشمنی رکھے | And whoever You oppose never attains honour. |
| تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ | تو بڑا بابرکت ہے اے ہمارے رب، اور تو بلند ہے | Blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted. |
How to Recite It in Witr
Dua e qunoot is recited while standing in the Witr prayer. The person raises both hands in the position of dua and recites the words slowly and clearly. This is the practice taught in the hadith of Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
If your child is learning Witr for the first time, add the dua after they know the prayer's steps. A teacher can check pronunciation and show exactly where the dua comes in the prayer.
5 Tips to Help Your Child Memorise It
This dua is longer than most daily duas, so it needs a small plan:
- Break it into nine short lines. Learn one new phrase per day from the table above, and always repeat the earlier ones with it.
- Listen and repeat. Play a slow, clear recitation of the dua and let your child repeat each phrase after it. Hearing the correct tune of the words fixes them in memory faster than silent reading.
- Ten minutes a day is enough. Short daily practice beats one long weekend session. Before bed is a good time, because the mind rests on what it learned last.
- Recite it in real Witr. As soon as your child knows the first few lines, let them recite those lines in Witr and read the rest from a card. Using the dua in actual salah locks it in memory like nothing else.
- Get a teacher to check it. A teacher catches small harakat mistakes early. Our tajweed rules for beginners guide covers the most common ones.
Most children finish in one to three weeks with this routine. A simple star chart on the fridge works wonders for motivation.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
Memorising from Roman Urdu. Roman spellings like "ehdini" or "waalait" hide the real sounds of Arabic. Always learn from the Arabic script with harakat, as printed above.
Rushing the words. Children often run the phrases together, especially فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ. Slow recitation in class and at home fixes this.
Skipping the meaning. A child who understands the words prays with feeling and forgets less. Read the Urdu translation together at least once.
Learning alone without correction. Even one session with a qualified teacher can catch errors that parents might miss. Correct recitation from the start saves years of relearning.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do we read dua e qunoot?
Dua e qunoot is recited in Witr salah, the last odd-numbered prayer of the night. Your child's Quran teacher can show them exactly where it comes in the prayer.
How long does it take a child to memorise dua e qunoot?
Most children memorise it in one to three weeks when they repeat a few lines daily and a teacher corrects their recitation. Short daily practice works far better than long, tiring sessions.
Is the dua e qunoot text on this page authentic?
Yes. It is the dua the Prophet ﷺ taught to Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for the Witr prayer. It is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawood 1425, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 464, Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745 and Sunan Ibn Majah 1178, and graded authentic (sahih).
At Dar Al Isar Quran Institute in AA Commercial, Sector D, Bahria Town, Lahore, children memorise dua e qunoot with correct tajweed in our Namaz & Masnoon Duain course, in class and online. New students can start with a 3-day free trial — WhatsApp 0303 7347447.
Frequently asked questions
When do we read dua e qunoot?
Dua e qunoot is recited in Witr salah, the last odd-numbered prayer of the night. Your child's Quran teacher can show them exactly where it comes in the prayer.
How long does it take a child to memorise dua e qunoot?
Most children memorise it in one to three weeks when they repeat a few lines daily and a teacher corrects their recitation. Short daily practice works far better than long, tiring sessions.
Is the dua e qunoot text on this page authentic?
Yes. It is the dua the Prophet ﷺ taught to Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for the Witr prayer. It is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawood 1425, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 464, Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745 and Sunan Ibn Majah 1178, and graded authentic (sahih).
