In Iran, before the second ruku in prayer, what is said during the standing dua?

Question

I experienced this repeatedly here in Iran, so I suspect this is a Shia thing. In prayer, during the second rakat just before ruku, we make dua while standing. I'm wondering what people are saying during this dua.

Question: In Iran, before the second ruku in prayer, what is said during the standing dua?

Wikipedia mentions that dua is particularly important in Shia Islam, and even has a photo of women performing (what I would guess is) this particular dua.

Answer 1

For Shias:

It's not mandatory. You can just move on and not do it all. But It's recommended. It's the moment where you ask Allah anything and everything.

There are many many recommendations:

ربنا آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار

"O Allah! Give to us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire."

or to simply recite a dua faraj* for Imam Mahdi as his ease would be the greatest ease for mankind!

Dua that Imam Ridha did in his Jum'a Qunuts aka Dua'a-e-Allahummah Asleh:

اللهم اصلح عبدك وخليفتك بما اصلحت به انبيائك و رسلك, وحفَه بملائكتك, وأيَده بروح القدس من عندك, واسلكه من بين يديه ومن خلفه رصدا يحفظونه من كل سوء, وابدله من بعد خوفه امناً يعبدك لا يشرك بك شيئاً, ولا تجعل من خلقك على وليك سلطانا, وأذن له في جهاد عدوك وعدوه, والجعلني من انصارك انك على كل شيٍ قدير

O Allah! ease conditions (his reappearance) of Your servant and caliph with those means by which You have eased (hastened) of Your messengers and prophets (Moses, Noah, Jesus, etc). Surround him with the angels and support him with the Holy Spirit. Appoint protectors from the front and behind him, (those) who would guard him from all troubles and calamities. Convert his fear into security, (so that) he may worship only You and doesn't associate anybody with You. Do not make any of Your creatures an authority over Your vicegerent. Permit him to fight against Your enemies and his enemies and include me among his helpers. Surely You possess power over everything.*

Dua Faraj

اللَّهُمَّ کُنْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الحُجَةِ بنِ الحَسَن ، صَلَواتُکَ علَیهِ و عَلی آبائِهِ ، فِی هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ وَ فِی کُلِّ سَاعَةٍ ، وَلِیّاً وَ حَافِظاً وَ قَائِداً وَ نَاصِراً وَ دَلِیلًا وَ عَیْناً ، حَتَّى تُسْکِنَهُ أَرْضَکَ طَوْعاً وَ تُمَتعَهُ فِیهَا طَوِیلا" ،

O Allah, be, for Your representative, the Hujjat (proof), son of Al­Hassan, Your blessings be on him and his forefathers, in this hour and in every hour, a guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper, a proof, and an eye. until You make him live on the earth, in obedience (to You), and cause him to live in it for a long time.

or other things like:

pray for believers and parents

اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْلِىْ ذُنُوْبِىْ وَلِوَالِدَىَّ وَارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِىْ صَغِيْرًا. وَلِجَمِيْعِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ، َاْلاَحْيَآءِ مِنْهُمْ وَاْلاَمْوَاتِ، وَتَابِعْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَاَنْتَ خَيْرُالرَّاحِمِيْنَ، وَلاَحَوْلَ وَلاَقُوَّةَ اِلاَّبِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ

O Allah, grant forgiveness to me for my sins and the sins of my parents, and mercy on both of them as he both took care of me when I was little, so are all Muslims and muslimat, all believers, male and women who are still alive or already dead, and ikutkanlah between us and them with kindness. O Allah, grant forgiveness and mercy of God be merciful because You are more compassionate and no power and effort but with your help.

But other than recommendations you can ask Allah to make you rich, heal the sick, bless the hearts of the Muslims, feed the hunger, etc.

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For Sunnis:

From WikiPedia: According to the Hanafi opinion, one is supposed to give Takbir (Say Allahu Akbar and raise his palms till ear lobes and hold them back below or above navel with right hand over left) before going into Ruku in 3rd Rakah and recite the Following Qunut Prayer also called as Dua-e-Qunoot (Prayer of Qunoot). After reciting the Dua, Muslims then bend in ruku and perform the rest of the Salath.

• shafi'i says: Qunut during morning Salat is mustahab at all time. (بدایه المجتهد:۱/۱۳۱؛ المغنی: ۱/۸۲۳)

• Abu Hanifa says: Qunut other than Witr prayer is makruh. (هدایه مرغینانی:۱/۶۶؛ بدایه المجتهد:۱/۱۳۲)

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• Faraj فرج means ease, easement, hast so that our awaiting for Imam Mahdi would be reduced.

Answer 2

This is called "Qunoot", which means you raise your hands before ruku in the second rakat in every prayer and recite a short dua. This dua is most times any short dua which can be found in the Holy Qur'an. Often it is

RABBANAAA AATINAA FIDDUNYAA H’ASANATAW WA FIL AAKHIRATI H’ASANATAW WA QINAA A’D’AABAN NAAR (AL BAQARAH: 201) Our Lord, give us good in this world, and good in the hereafter, and save us from the torment of fire.

Answer 3

In Iran, what do they say before praying the second ruku 'standing in prayer? In Shia, this movement is also called Qanoot. Qanoot means humility, downfall and humility. In Qanoot, we take our hands in the form of beggars, this is a sign of no sign and a sign of poverty and need. The prayer that the people of Iran say a lot in their qunoot: verse 201 is from Surah Al-Baqarah. Our Lord, Athena in this world, goodness, and in the Hereafter, goodness, and certainly the torment of the fire, means that God, we want both a good world and a good Hereafter. Imam Sadegh said, "If you can cry in Qanoot, if you cried in Qanoot, pray for me."

Ref: https://qunoot.net/App/parts.item.php?showid=920