Qunoot An-Nawazil (Qunoot at Times of Calamity) - (18/12/16)
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Qunoot An-Nawazil (Qunoot at Times of Calamity) - (18/12/16)
بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
19-3-1438H
Last Week, the Ministry commanded all the Masajid to pray Qunoot An-Nawazil.
Qunoot has many different meanings in Islamic Terminology. From its meanings:
1- Silence and Tranquility
In Surah Al-Baqarah [2:238]:
"Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers) especially the middle Salat (i.e. the best prayer - 'Asr). And stand before Allah with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salat (prayers)]."
2- Absolute Obedience
In Surah Tahrim [66:5]:
"Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allah ], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling - [ones] previously married and virgins."
3- Continuous in Performing Special Prayers
In Surat az-Zumar [39:9]:
"Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah's Signs and Verses)."
4- The Known Supplication said in the Witr Prayer
It is prescribed after Rukoo' (bowing) according to the most correct Scholarly opinion.
5- The Supplication that is said in the Daily Obligatory Prayers when a Calamity befalls the Muslims, such as if some disbelievers transgress and persecute some Muslims, lay siege around them, etc.
النوازل is the plural of النازلة and refers to calamities. Qunoot An-Nawazil was practiced by the Prophet ﷺ and the companions after him.
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الَّذِينَ قَتَلُوا أَصْحَابَ بِئْرِ مَعُونَةَ ثَلاَثِينَ صَبَاحًا يَدْعُو عَلَى رِعْلٍ وَذَكْوَانَ وَلِحْيَانَ وَعُصَيَّةَ عَصَتِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا بِبِئْرِ مَعُونَةَ قُرْآنًا قَرَأْنَاهُ حَتَّى نُسِخَ بَعْدُ أَنْ بَلِّغُوا قَوْمَنَا أَنْ قَدْ لَقِينَا رَبَّنَا فَرَضِيَ عَنَّا وَرَضِينَا عَنْهُ
Anas bin Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ invoked curse in the morning (prayer) for thirty days upon those who killed the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) at Bi'r Ma'una. He cursed (the tribes) of Ri'l, Dhakwan, Lihyan, and Usayya, who had disobeyed Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Anas said: Allah the Exalted and Great revealed (a verse) regarding those who were killed at Bi'r Ma'una, and we recited it, till it was abrogated later on (and the verse was like this):, convey to it our people the tidings that we have met our Lord, and He was pleased with us and we were pleased with Him". [Muslim]
In another occasion, the Prophet ﷺ came to know of some weak oppressed believers in Makkah, who had been captured and prevented from emigrating. He invoked for Allah to rescue them, and mentioned them one by one by name, until they were released and came to Madinah:
Narrated Abu Huraira The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the following invocations during Qunut: "O Allah! Save Salama bin Hisham. O Allah! Save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid. O Allah! Save `Aiyash bin Rabi`a O Allah ! Save the weak Muslims. O Allah! Be very hard on Mudar tribe. O Allah! Afflict them with years (of famine) similar to the (famine) years of the time of Prophet Joseph." Abu Huraira said, Then I saw that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had stopped saying this supplication afterwards. I said: 'I see that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has stopped praying against them' It was said: 'Do you not see that they have come?' [Muslim]
i.e. When Allah saved them, the Prophet ﷺ stopped the Qunoot.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs used to recite Qunoot, but never did it continuously. And whenever the calamity had come to an end, they would stop Qunoot.
Q. Is it Sunnah to practice Qunoot An-Nawaazil during every calamity?
A. No. Many afflictions befell the Prophet ﷺ, such as the Battle of Uhud, however he did not offer Qunoot An-Nawaazil, invoking against the Arabs. Similarly, in the Battle of Al-Ahzab, a great calamity befell the Muslims, as Allah mentioned in Surah Al-Ahzab [33:10-11]:
"When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harbouring doubts about Allah."
"There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking."
yet the Prophet ﷺ did not offer Qunoot.
Q. Who is legible to perform it?
A. The Scholars differed with regards to this matter.
- Some Scholars, such as Imam Ahmed رحمه الله, are of the opinion that only the Great Imam (Leader of the Country) performs the Qunoot. This because the Prophet ﷺ used to recite it in his Masjid, and it is not transmitted that he commanded the other Masajid to do so as well, or that anyone else recited it at the same time. This means that we are not supposed to make Qunoot without the permission of the Great Imam.
- Other Scholars hold the position that the Imam of every Masjid should conduct the Qunoot, due to the fact that the Prophet ﷺ recited Qunoot while he was the Imam of the Masjid, and because the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Pray as you have seen me praying" [Al-Bukhari]
- Some Scholars state that whenever a calamity befalls the Muslims, reciting the Dua Qunoot becomes permissible for every praying person, even when one is offering the obligatory prayers individually.
The preponderant point of view is that the Ruler, all the Imams in the Masajid when leading congregational prayer, and every individually praying person, are allowed to recite the Qunoot An-Nawazil in their prayers. However, it only becomes permissible when the Ruler gives permission, because people would then try to determine whether to pray according to their opinion, and this would cause dissension and chaos amongst the Muslims. [Bulugh Al Maram by Shaikh Ibn Othaimeen and Majmoo' Fatawa of Shaikh Ibn Othaimeen]
How to perform Qunoot An-Nawazil:
Q. When should the Qunoot be recited?
A. It has been affirmed that the Prophet ﷺ recited Qunoot in Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha Prayers. This gives us the general ruling that it can be recited in all the five obligatory prayers, but it is more stressed that it is performed in the Fajr and Maghrib Prayers. [Al-Ikhtiyarat Al-Fiqhiyyah by Ibn Taymiyah]
Abu Hurairah said, "No doubt, my Salat (prayers) is similar to that of the Prophet ﷺ" Abu Hurairah used to recite Qunoot after saying, "Sami' Allah Liman Hamidah" in the last Rak'ah of the Dhuhr, 'Isha, and Fajr Prayers. He would ask Allah's Forgiveness for the true believers and curse the disbelievers. [Al-Bukhari]
Ibn Abbas narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Qunoot early for a month at the Dhuhr (noon), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), Isha (night), and Fajr (morning) prayers when he ﷺ said, 'Allah listens to him who praises Him' in the last Rak'ah, invoking a curse on some clans of Banu Sulaym, Ri'l, Dhakwaan, and 'Usayyah, and those who were standing behind him said: "Ameen". [Abu Dawoud and Authenticated by Al-Albaani and graded it Hasan]
Narrated Anas, "The Qunoot used to be recited in the Fajr and Maghrib Prayers" [Al-Bukhari]
Abu Huraira narrated: Whenever Allah's Messenger ﷺ intended to invoke evil upon somebody, or invoke good upon somebody, he used to invoke (Allah) after bowing (in the prayer), sometimes after saying, 'Allah hears those who sent praises to Him. O our Lord! All praises are for You...' [Al-Bukhari]
Muslim reported a similar Hadeeth saying, "that was in the Fajr Prayer" and Al-Bukhari reported, "while the Prophet ﷺ was offering the 'Isha prayer...."
Based on the aforementioned narrations, Qunoot at the time of calamity is Sunnah, and is performed in the five obligatory prayers, particularly stressing on the Maghrib and 'Isha Prayers. It is better to be recited after rising from Rukoo' in the last Rak'ah, and it better to raise ones hands and ask Allah loudly (if one is the Imam - whilst those behind him say 'Ameen').
Whenever the reason for Qunoot ceased, the Prophet ﷺ would stop making it, even in the Fajr Prayer. This affirms that the supplication of Qunoot in the Fajr Prayer continuously, in times other than calamity, is considered a Bid'ah (contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ).
So, it is Sunnah when needed. [Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah]
Shaikh Ibn Othaimeen said, "Reciting Qunoot against those who caused evil is better to be limited to the time of the Prophet ﷺ and not more than that. Reciting Qunoot without any reason is not legal (not prescribed), however, if one prays behind an Imam who recites Qunoot (in the Fajr Prayer), Imam Ahmed is of the opinion that he should follow the Imam and neither prostrate nor leave him, but say 'Ameen' to the supplication he makes. This opinion has a basis in the Religion; and that is that when the Prophet ﷺ stood up for the third Rak'ah forgetting to sit for the first Tashahud, the companions followed him, although he had left an obligatory act. Accordingly, the one who is praying behind an Imam who recites Qunoot in the prayer, should follow him, because these issues are not forbidden by texts; they are a matter of Ijtihad" [Bulugh Al-Maram]
Q. What should be said in the Qunoot?
It is a Sunnah act to be practiced during times of calamity, and one should recite a supplication appropriate to the calamity that has befallen [Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah and Za'd AlMa'd]
It is therefore not prescribed for one to say "اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت...." (O Allah Guide me amongst those whom You have Guided) as one says in the Qunoot of the Witr Prayer.
An-Nawawi said in Al-Majmoo', "The correct view which was stated by the majority of Scholars is that there are no specific words, rather any Du'a may be said"
Abdul-Raham Ibn Abza narrated: "I prayed behind Umar bin Al-Khattab in the Fajr Prayer, and I heard him saying after recitation (of Qur'an), before Rukoo':
"O Allah! Verily, we worship You, 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 Allah! Verily we seek Your Help, we ask Your Forgiveness, and we praise You and we are not ungrateful to You, we believe in You, and submit to You......" [Al-Baihaqi and authenticated by Al-Albani in Al-Irwaa']
In another narration, it is reported that he recited the Qunoot after the Rukoo', raised his hands, and supplicated loudly. [Sunan Al-Baihaqi and authenticated by Al-Albani]
Al-Albaani said, "There is nothing wrong with adding more to this (word), cursing the infidels, and sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, and praying for the Muslims." [Qiyaam Ramadan by Shaikh Al-Albani]
It is also appropriate to say the supplications said by the Prophet ﷺ, as they are appropriate to calamities befalling the Muslims, such as: "O Allah; save the weak and oppressed believers in such and such place; O Allah, help them. O Allah, punish the disbelievers, etc..." because the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ is the best and most comprehensive supplication that can be offered. [IslamQA]
Q. Are we supposed to perform Qunoot An-Nawazil if floods, earthquakes, etc. occur? No. These events occured at the time of the Prophet ﷺ and he never recited Qunoot in his prayer. If any event occured at the time of the Prophet ﷺ and he did not take an action for, it, it is considered a Bid'ah (innovation). Similarly, every year passed and the Prophet ﷺ never celebrated his birthday, so it is not permissible that we celebrate it now.
Sources:
- Sharh Bulugh Al-Maram by Shaikh Ibn Othaimeen
- Salat At-Tatawo' by Shaikh Sa'ad Al-Qahtani
- IslamQA
Side Notes:
-> Even if the Salat is a Salaat where there is quiet recitation, the Imam should say the Qunoot loudly.
-> Regarding witr, it is not Sunnah to recite Qunnot AlWitr every time. It is Sunnah to sometimes say it, and sometimes leave it.
-> Sometimes the Great Imam may not issue the command to perform Qunoot An-Nawaazil, while you know there are many calamities, so make dua for those afflicted in your Sujood, at Tahajjud time, etc.
