I have a question regarding the recitation of Du'a Al-Qunoot. I heard that it is permissible to read any Du'a from the Qur'an if one does not know Du'a Al-Qunoot in 3rd Raka'h of Witr Salaat after Surah Al-Faatihah (source Islam Channel). Could you answer my question according to the Hanafi Madhab please? I do know Du'a Al-Qunoot by heart, but it is a little rusty so I prefer to pray another Du'aa such as Ayat Al-Kursiyy.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Some jurists are of the view that it is not an obligation to recite a special supplication in Qunoot. If one supplicates with a verse from the Qur'an in which there is a supplication, the objective is achieved.

Imaam An-Nawawi [from the Shaafi'ee school] said: 'According to the chosen opinion in our school, there is no special supplication in Qunoot. Any supplication that a person says, achieves the objective. If one supplicates with a verse from the Qur'an in which there is a supplication, the objective is also achieved, but the best Qunoot is that which is mentioned in the Sunnah.'

For the text of the supplication of Qunoot, please refer to Fataawa: 89397 and 81651.

According to the Hanafi school, the Qunoot supplication is as that mentioned in Fatwa: 81651.

It should be noted that reciting verse: 255 from chapter Al-Baqarah, might not serve the objective in Qunoot as this verse does not contain any supplication. We have already mentioned that Imaam An-Nawawi said that the verse that could serve as Qunoot is a verse from the Qur'an in which a supplication is mentioned.

Regarding your saying that you know Qunoot but you think that it is rusty, know that there are various supplications for Qunoot, so if one says one supplication once and another supplication another time, then this makes a person feel more humble and attentive.

Finally, we draw your attention that you should not say that a supplication from the Sunnah is 'rusty' (old-fashioned).

As regards following a certain school from the four schools and the date when they were established, please refer to Fataawa: 82778 and 82570. 

Allaah knows best.