Qunoot (Ahadith 813 – 816)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

This is the last post from Kitaab-ul-Witr. Alhamdulillah, it was covered in detail. We start Kitaab-ul-Istisqaa’ [Book of Invoking Allah fro Rain] tomorrow inshaAllah.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 813:

Narrated Muhammad bin Sirin:

Anas was asked, “Did the Prophet recite Qunut in the Fajr prayer?” Anas replied in the affirmative. He was further asked, “Did he recite Qunut before bowing?” Anas replied, “He recited Qunut after bowing for some time (for one month).”

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 814:

Narrated ‘Asim:

I asked Anas bin Malik about the Qunut. Anas replied, “Definitely it was (recited)”. I asked, “Before bowing or after it?” Anas replied, “Before bowing.” I added, “So and so has told me that you had informed him that it had been after bowing.” Anas said, “He told an untruth (i.e. “was mistaken,” according to the Hijazi dialect). Allah’s Apostle recited Qunut after bowing for a period of one month.” Anas added, “The Prophet sent about seventy men (who knew the Quran by heart) towards the pagans (of Najd) who were less than they in number and there was a peace treaty between them and Allah’s Apostles (but the Pagans broke the treaty and killed the seventy men). So Allah’s Apostle recited Qunut for a period of one month asking Allah to punish them.”

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 815:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet recited Qunut for one month (in the Fajr prayer) asking Allah to punish the tribes of Ral and Dhakwan.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 816:

Narrated Anas:

The Qunut used to be recited in the Maghrib and the Fajr prayers.

Qunoot, according to the definition of the fuqaha’, “is the name of a du’aa’ (supplication) offered during prayer at a specific point while standing.” It is prescribed in Witr prayer after the rukoo’ (bowing), according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.

If a calamity (naazilah) befalls the Muslims, it is prescribed to say Du’aa’ al- Qunoot after standing up from rukoo’ in the last rak’ah of each of the five daily obligatory prayers, until Allaah relieves the Muslims of that calamity.

Before or After Rukoo`?

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (23/100):

With regard to qunoot: there are two extreme views and one middle (or moderate) view. Some say that qunoot should only be recited before bowing and some say that it should only be recited after bowing. The fuqaha’ among the scholars of hadeeth, such as Ahmad and others, say that both are allowed, because both are mentioned in the saheeh Sunnah, but they preferred reciting qunoot after bowing because this is mentioned more often.

[IslamQA]

Raising Hands

Raising the hands is mentioned in a saheeh report from  ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), as was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in a report which he classed as saheeh (2/210).

The worshipper should raise his hands to chest height and no more, because this du’aa’ is not a du’aa’ of supplication in which a person needs to raise his hands high. Rather it is a du’aa’ of hope in which a person holds out his palms towards heaven… The apparent meaning of the scholar’s words is that the worshipper should hold his hands close together like a beggar who asks someone else to give him something.

Qunoot in Witr

The version which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught to al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), which is:

“Allaahumma ihdini feeman hadayta wa ‘aafini feeman ‘aafayta wa tawallani feeman tawallayta wa baarik li feema a’tayta, wa qini sharra ma qadayta , fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ‘alayk, wa innahu laa yadhillu man waalayta wa laa ya’izzu man ‘aadayta, tabaarakta Rabbana wa ta’aalayta la munji minka illa ilayk.”

(O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those whom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted. There is no place of safety from You except with You).”

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1213; al-Nasaa’i, 1725; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 429).

It was narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say at the end of Witr:

“Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bi ridaaka min sakhatika wa bi mu’aafaatika min ‘uqoobatika wa a’oodhu bika minka, la uhsi thana’an ‘alayka anta kama athnayta ‘ala nafsika (O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I cannot praise You enough; You are as You have praised Yourself.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1727; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 430; Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1282).

Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as it was narrated that some of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) – including Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Mu’aadh al-Ansaary (may Allaah be pleased with them) – did that at the end of Qunoot al-Witr.

(See Tasheeh al-Du’aa’ by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, p. 460).

Qunoot in Witr Every Night?

There is nothing wrong with that. The du’aa’ of Qunoot is Sunnah and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite Qunoot. He taught Qunoot and the words of Qunoot in Witr to al-Hasan, so it is Sunnah. If you recite it every night, there is nothing wrong with that, and if you omit it on some occasions so that the people will know that it is not obligatory, there is nothing wrong with that either. If the imam omits Qunoot on some occasions so that the people will know that is not obligatory, there is nothing wrong with that. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught al-Hasan Qunoot, he did not tell him to omit it on some days. This indicates that if he does it persistently, there is nothing wrong with that.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).

[IslamQA]

Qunoot at times of calamity (Qunoot al-Naazilah)

When praying Qunoot at the time of calamity, one should make supplication as is appropriate to the situation, as it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed some Arab tribes who had betrayed his companions and killed them, and he prayed for the weak and oppressed believers in Makkah, that Allaah would save them.  It was narrated that ‘Umar prayed Qunoot with the following words:

“Allaahumma inna nasta’eenuka wa nu’minu bika, wa natawakkalu ‘alayka wa nuthni ‘alayka al-khayr, wa laa nakfuruka. Allaahumma iyyaaka na’budu wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu, wa ilayka nas’aa wa nahfid. Narju rahmataka wa nakhsha ‘adhaabaka, inna ‘adhaabaka al-jadd bil kuffaari mulhaq. Allaahumma ‘adhdhib il-kafarata ahl al-kitaab alladheena yasuddoona ‘an sabeelika.”

(O Allaah, verily we seek Your help, we believe in You, we put our trust in You and we praise You and we are not ungrateful to You. O Allaah, You alone we worship and to You we pray and prostrate, for Your sake we strive. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment, for Your punishment will certainly reach the disbelievers.  O Allaah, punish the infidels of the People of the Book who are preventing others from following Your way).”

This version is a bit different than the one in text above. But it works.

(Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 2/210; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 2/170. Al-Albaani said: This was reported from ‘Umar concerning Qunoot in Fajr, and it seems that this Qunoot is Qunoot al-Naazilah (Qunoot at times of calamity) as is indicated by his praying against the kuffaar).

Saying Ameen after Qunoot

It is prescribed to say Ameen during the du’aa’ al-qunoot.

It is not obligatory to say the Ameen out loud, rather it is mustahabb, just as the Ameen itself is not obligatory.

[IslamQA]

Making Qunoot Calamity-Appropriate

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/45): He should say Qunoot with a supplication that is appropriate to the calamity that has come. Hence the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) used to say Qunoot with words that were appropriate to the calamity, and he did not say “Allaahumma ihdini fiman hadayta/O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided…” as some of the common folk do. It is not narrated in any hadeeth, saheeh or da’eef, that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) ever used to say “Allaahumma ihdini fiman hadayta/O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided…”) in obligatory prayers; rather he would offer a supplication that was appropriate to that calamity. On one occasion, he (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) prayed for some of the weak and oppressed people, asking Allaah to save them, until they came (to him in Madeenah). End quote.

Based on this, the worshipper should choose a supplication that is appropriate to the calamity, and say that.

Whoever says the du’aa’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) because it is appropriate to a calamity that has befallen the Muslim, such as saying with regard to that which has befallen us nowadays, “O Allaah, save the weak and oppressed believers in Gaza; O Allaah, help them; O Allaah, punish the Jews and Christians, and those who support and help them, severely; O Allaah, curse them; O Allaah, send upon them years like the years of Yoosuf,” has done well, because the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) is the best and most comprehensive supplication that can be offered.

And Allaah knows best.

[IslamQA]

A very detailed post on Qunoot here, and the answer to “for how long should the qunoot nazila be recited” here.

Ahhhh! I don’t know about you, but I definitely learnt a LOT of new stuff today. Alhamdulillah. <3

Wassalam.

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