Is there a specific supplication for the qunut in the witr prayer?

The questioner : May Allah reward you, our esteemed Shaykh. Regarding the qunut in the witr prayer...

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : Does the qunut in the witr prayer have a specific supplication, or is the one praying free to choose whatever supplications he wishes?

The Shaykh : First, it is not part of the Sunnah for a person to persist in the qunut in the witr prayer, because all those who described the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer in his tahajjud do not mention it. However, he (peace and blessings be upon him) taught it to al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, as in his saying: It is better in every place where there is a transmitted supplication to begin with the transmitted supplication before anything else, and then to supplicate with whatever one wishes. But if one is an imam, he should not prolong it for the people. I have been told that some people remain in the qunut for half an hour or more, and this is an error, because it bores the people and tires them. Even if it suits one in a hundred, it does not suit the other ninety-nine. And many are those who complain about their imams prolonging the qunut. Therefore, we say to the imam: shorten it as much as you can. A short supplication after which the people leave, wishing he had added more, is better than a long supplication after which the people leave saying, "He prolonged it, cutting our necks, tiring our legs," and the like.

The questioner : And what about the one praying alone, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Yes, the one praying alone supplicates with whatever he wishes.

The questioner : May Allah grant us and you the blessing of righteous deeds, O esteemed Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Ameen