What is the decree of reading qunut supplication in the morning prayer in Shafii madhhab and how is it read?

How is the morning prayer performed according to Shafii madhhab? When is qunut supplication read and is it fard to read it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

In Shafii madhhab, it is a strong sunnah to read qunut supplication. Sajdah as-sahw is necessary when it is abandoned. This qunut supplication is read in the second rak'ah of the morning prayer after standing up from ruku'. It is also sunnah to perform witr prayer in congregation in Ramadan and to read qunut supplication in the last rak'ah in the second half of this month.    

Qunut includes all words that praise Allah and pray to Him. However, what is sunnah is to read the supplications reported from the Prophet (pbuh).

A person who reads this supplication in a prayer that he performs individually should read it with the pronouns of the first-person singular. He should pray for himself by saying, "ihdini wa afini (guide me and grant me health)", not "ihdina wa afina (guide us and grant us health)". However, the pronoun of the first-person plural in "tabarakte rabbana (blessed are You, O our Lord)" should not be changed into singular by saying "tabarakta rabbi (blessed are You, O my Lord)". The imam needs to read the hole supplication with the pronoun of the first-person plural and say, for instance, "ihdina wa afina", not "ihdini wa afini".

It is sunnah for the imam to read qunut aloud even if it is a missed (qada) prayer. It is sunnah for a person who performs witr prayer individually to read qunut supplication silently even if it is a prayer performed in time. As for the person who follows the imam, ne needs to open his hands toward the sky and say amin when the imam reads qunut.

If a person who is performing a prayer does not read the whole qunut, he needs to perform sajdah as-sahw. It is sunnah for a Shafii person who follows a Hanafi imam in the morning prayer to perform sajdah as-sahw after salutation. 

It is permissible to read qunut supplication in all prayers when violent incidents of misfortunes occur and at the time of catastrophes and disasters.

According to Hanafi madhhab, qunut supplication can be read only in the morning prayer in such cases.

In that case, both the imam and a person who is performing a prayer individually read qunut supplication aloud -even if it is a day prayer in which qiraah is silent. A person who follows the imam says amin for the supplication of the imam. In this case, sajdah as-sahw is not necessary if some part of qunut supplication is not read.

A Hanafi person who follows a Shafii imam in the morning prayer listens silently by keeping his hands aside to the imam who reads qunut supplication after standing up from ruku' in the second rak'ah. (Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Muhtar, II/9,)

The qunut supplication read in Shafii madhhab:

"Allahummahdina fiman hadayta. Wa afina fiman afayta. Wa tawallana fiman tawallayta. Wa bariklana fima a'tayta. Wa qina sharra ma qadayta. Fainnaka taqdi wala yuqda alayka. Wa innahu la yazillu man walayta. Wala yaizzu man adayta. Tabarakta Rabbana wa taalayta. Falakal hamdu ala ma qadayta. Nastaghfiruka wa natubu ilayka. Wa sallallahu ala sayyiddina Muhammadin wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam."

"O Allah, guide us with those You have guided aright, and grant us health with those that You have granted health. Take us into Your charge among those whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless us in what You have bestowed on us, and guard us against the evil that You have decreed, for You alone decree, and no one can decree against You. One whom You have patronized can never be despised and the one whom You have antagonized can never become honored. Blessed and exalted are You, our Lord Our Lord. To You, all praise for what You have decreed. We ask Your forgiveness and turn in repentance to You. Allah’s blessings and peace be upon our maste Muhammad (pbuh), on his family and his Companions.

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