✅Answer: Many of those who explain and write about the quality and etiquette of the night prayer, including for the qunut of the witr prayer, recommend supplicating and seeking forgiveness for forty believers, and they even suggest the names! For example: 'O Allah, forgive Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, O Allah, forgive Muhammad Baqir ibn Muhammad Taqi...' up to forty people...!

✅The noteworthy point is that no narration has recommended such a thing, and it has not been considered part of the etiquette of the qunut of the witr prayer. The claim that it is one of the specific etiquettes of the night prayer and the qunut of the witr prayer has no basis.

✅You can see some of the recommended supplications in the qunut of the witr prayer in the following link:

https://feghh14.com/en/953

✅Yes, in general, giving precedence to forty believers in supplication is recommended for the supplication to be answered, including:

1 عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّهِ قَالَ: مَنْ قَدَّمَ أَرْبَعِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ثُمَّ دَعَا اسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 509

Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever gives precedence to forty believers, then supplicates, his supplication will be answered!'

2 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: مَنْ قَدَّمَ أَرْبَعِينَ رَجُلًا مِنْ إِخْوَانِهِ فَدَعَا لَهُمْ- ثُمَّ دَعَا لِنَفْسِهِ اسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ فِيهِمْ وَ فِي نَفْسِهِ.

📚 Al-Khisal, p. 537-3

Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever gives precedence to forty of his brothers and supplicates for them, and then supplicates for himself, his supplication will be answered regarding them and regarding himself!'

✅It is observed that giving precedence to forty people in supplication is not exclusive to the qunut of the witr prayer.

✅However, some may have inferred this from the following narration, so first, pay attention to the narration in question:

3 عُدَّةُ الدَّاعِی، رَوَی ابْنُ أَبِی عُمَیْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ علیه السلام قَالَ: مَنْ قَدَّمَ أَرْبَعِینَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ ثُمَّ دَعَا اسْتُجِیبَ لَهُ وَ یَتَأَکَّدُ بَعْدَ الْفَرَاغِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّیْلِ یَقُولُ وَ هُوَ سَاجِدٌ- اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ الْفَجْرِ وَ اللَّیَالِی الْعَشْرِ- وَ الشَّفْعِ وَ الْوَتْرِ وَ اللَّیْلِ إِذا یَسْرِ وَ رَبَّ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ إِلَهَ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ مَلِیکَ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ افْعَلْ بِی وَ بِفُلَانٍ وَ فُلَانٍ مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ وَ لَا تَفْعَلْ بِنَا مَا نَحْنُ أَهْلُهُ یَا أَهْلَ التَّقْوَی وَ أَهْلَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

📚 Uddat al-Da'i, p. 128

Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever gives precedence to forty believers, then supplicates, his supplication will be answered!'

And after finishing the night prayer, it is emphasized to say while in prostration:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ الْفَجْرِ وَ اللَّیَالِی الْعَشْرِ- وَ الشَّفْعِ وَ الْوَتْرِ وَ اللَّیْلِ إِذا یَسْرِ وَ رَبَّ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ إِلَهَ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ مَلِیکَ کُلِّ شَیْ ءٍ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ افْعَلْ بِی وَ بِفُلَانٍ وَ فُلَانٍ (به جای فلان نام اشخاص را بگوید) مَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ وَ لَا تَفْعَلْ بِنَا مَا نَحْنُ أَهْلُهُ یَا أَهْلَ التَّقْوَی وَ أَهْلَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

✅Several points about the above narration are noteworthy:

1- The mentioned act is after finishing the night prayer and while in prostration!

2- It does not speak of 40 people and is not limited!

3- Given that the beginning of this narration is in 📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 509, with the same chain of narration as mentioned in hadith 1, but it does not have this addition mentioned in the book Uddat al-Da'i, it is not clear if this addition is part of the narration. And if it was a separate narration, firstly, it is not currently attributed to the Imam, and secondly, it has no connection to the discussion of supplicating for 40 believers in the qunut of the witr prayer!

4- In the book 📚 Al-Bihar, Vol. 93, p. 389, quoting from the book Balad al-Amin, narration 1 is also narrated, and it only has this additional phrase: 'WA YATA'AKKADU BA'DA AL-FARAAGH MIN SALAT AL-LAYL' (And it is emphasized after finishing the night prayer), which, given that Sheikh Kulayni narrated this narration without this addition, it is not clear if it is part of this narration, especially since this narration is narrated in this manner in the margin of Balad al-Amin and is not part of the main text of the book. In any case, it is again specific to after finishing the night prayer and has no connection to the qunut of the witr prayer!

✅ So, although due to the general narrations of qunut, various supplications can be recited in the qunut of prayers, the fact that it has become famous as one of the etiquettes of the qunut of the witr prayer to supplicate for forty believers by name has no evidence.

✅It should be noted that supplicating for believers while in prostration with the supplication mentioned in the book Uddat al-Da'i is mentioned for a state other than prayer in the books 📚 Miftah al-Falah, p. 344 and 📚 Fallah al-Sa'il, p. 188 and 📚 Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 297 and 📚 Misbah of Sheikh Tusi, p. 241, but it is not attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and at the same time, it has no connection to the qunut of the witr prayer.

✅ But also pay attention to the following two narrations:

4 عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُ أُسَمِّي الْأَئِمَّةَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ أَجْمِلْهُمْ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 317

Halabi said to Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'Should I mention the names of the Imams (peace be upon them) in prayer?' The Imam said: 'Mention them in a general and collective way!' (for example, with the words 'Imams' or 'Hujaj Allah' or 'Awliya Allah' and...)

5 عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ فِي قُنُوتِ الْجُمُعَةِ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ خَلَقْتَهُ لِدِينِكَ وَ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْتَ لِجَنَّتِكَ- قُلْتُ أُسَمِّي الْأَئِمَّةَ قَالَ سَمِّهِمْ جُمْلَةً.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 3, p. 18

Halabi says: (Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him) said regarding the qunut of the Friday prayer, 'Say:'

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ خَلَقْتَهُ لِدِينِكَ وَ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْتَ لِجَنَّتِكَ

I said: 'Should I mention the Imams by name?' He said: 'Say it in a general and collective way!'

✅ The command to mention the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in a general and collective way during prayer is mentioned in the two narrations above.

The absence of any narration indicating seeking forgiveness for 40 believers in the qunut of the witr prayer necessitates that we do not consider supplicating for 40 believers in the qunut of the witr prayer as one of the specific etiquettes mentioned in the narrations.

✅ It is obvious that outside of prayer, according to narrations 1 and 2 and others, there is no problem with supplicating for 40 believers by mentioning their names and the names of their fathers, and rather, according to those narrations, it leads to the supplication being answered. But considering it a tradition and part of the etiquette to supplicate for 40 believers by mentioning their names in the qunut of the witr prayer has no basis.

✅ Regarding mentioning the name of the enemy in qunut to curse them, pay attention to the following narrations:

6 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: تَدْعُو فِي الْوَتْرِ عَلَى الْعَدُوِّ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ سَمَّيْتَهُمْ وَ تَسْتَغْفِرُ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 131

Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'In the witr prayer, you can curse the enemy, and if you wish, you can also mention their names, and you also seek forgiveness in the qunut of the witr.'

7 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ هِلَالٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ قَنَتَ وَ دَعَا عَلَى قَوْمٍ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ وَ أَسْمَاءِ آبَائِهِمْ وَ عَشَائِرِهِمْ وَ فَعَلَهُ عَلِيٌّ بَعْدَهُ.

📚 Mustatrafat al-Sara'ir, p. 98

Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) performed qunut and cursed a people by their names and the names of their fathers and the names of their tribes, and Ali (peace be upon him) also did this after him!'

8 عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ يَعْنِي أَبَا الْحَسَنِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُ بَعْضَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمَمْطُورَةِ فَأَقْنُتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي صَلَاتِي قَالَ نَعَمْ اقْنُتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي صَلَاتِكَ.

📚 Rijal al-Kashshi, Vol. 2, p. 762

Ibrahim says: I wrote to Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him): 'May I be sacrificed for you! I know some of these wet dogs (a reference to the Waqifiyya sect). Should I curse them in the qunut of the prayer?' He said: 'Yes! Curse them in the qunut of your prayer!'

9 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْقِلٍ: عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّهُ قَنَتَ فِي الصُّبْحِ فَلَعَنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَ أَبَا مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّ وَ أَبَا الْأَعْوَرِ وَ أَصْحَابَهُمْ

📚 Amali al-Tusi, Vol. 2, p. 335

Ali (peace be upon him) performed qunut in the Fajr prayer and cursed Muawiyah, Amr ibn al-'As, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, Aba A'war, and their companions!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ