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Qunut

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A special supplication made during prayer, often in Witr or Fajr, involving raised hands and personal or communal requests.

Detailed Definition
Qunut allows intimate dialogue with God within formal prayer—asking for help, forgiveness, or victory. In poetry, it symbolizes the heart’s cry rising from ritual structure. Poets describe hands lifted like sails, voices trembling in unison, or tears falling during qunut to show how liturgy opens space for raw, personal need within collective worship.
Example
Example in poetry:
A supplication poem: “Qunūt in Witr is the moment I pour my fears into Allah’s hands”; In a modern verse, “During war, qunūt became collective cry for peace”; A minimalist lyric: “Qunūt: standing in need, trusting in grace”; A refugee’s reflection: “My qunūt is silent—but Allah hears the tremor in my hands.”
Additional Notes
Qunut is a special supplication (dua) made while standing in prayer, often during the Witr prayer or in times of calamity during the Fajr prayer. The hands are raised in a gesture of supplication. It can be a pre-recited text or a personal, spontaneous plea to God for guidance, help, or protection. It represents the intimate, conversational aspect of prayer within the formal structure of Salat.
Also Known As
Supplication Dua
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