It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would supplicate against someone or pray for someone, he would recite Qunoot after bowing (ruku‘). Sometimes it is said that he would supplicate after «سَمِعَ اللّٰهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ» : «اَللّٰهُمَّ ........ الخ» “O Allah, deliver Walid bin Walid, Salamah bin Hisham, ‘Ayyash bin Abi Rabi‘ah, and the weak among the Muslims. O Allah, tighten Your grip on Mudar and afflict them with a famine like the famine in the time of Yusuf, peace be upon him.”He, peace and blessings be upon him, would supplicate this aloud and invoke against some of the Arab tribes, «اَللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنْ فُلَانًا وَفُلَانًا» “O Allah, curse so-and-so and so-and-so,”until this noble verse was revealed: «لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ» [آل عمران: 128/3] “O Prophet! You have no authority in the matter; whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers.”

Asim said: I asked Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) about Qunoot, so he said: It is before bowing (ruku‘). I said: So-and-so thinks that you have said Qunoot is after bowing. Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He has lied. Then he narrated the hadith that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Qunoot after bowing for a month, or he said: For a month, he supplicated against a tribe of Banu Sulaym.

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrated that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Qunoot in the Fajr prayer.

Abu Nu'aym also narrated from Shu'bah a narration with the same meaning.

It was asked from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): Did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recite Qunoot in the Fajr prayer? He replied: Yes. It was asked or (he said): I said, was it before or after bowing (ruku‘)? He said: For a few days, after bowing. Imam Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I am an adherent and practitioner of this, and in my opinion, this Qunoot is only prescribed during times of war.