Rebuking the Imam for Qunut in the Fajr Prayer and the Use of a Megaphone
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The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, in our country, most mosques perform the qunut in the Fajr prayer and use a megaphone. The question is: do we rebuke the imam on this issue, or is there leeway in the matter since it is a subject of scholarly disagreement?
The Shaykh:
The qunut in the Fajr prayer is a matter of scholarly disagreement, as you have heard. The Shafi'i school holds it to be a recommended practice, and it is also attributed to the Maliki school as a recommended practice in the Fajr prayer. So, if the imam is Shafi'i or Maliki and holds this view, do not rebuke him, because he holds this view and follows his imam, and this is what he has adhered to; do not rebuke him. As for you, if you become the imam, follow what you consider to be the stronger position. Yes. The imam of the mosque is not under your authority, but if you discuss it with him in the spirit of discussion, if you discuss it with him in the spirit of discussion, that is a good thing. If he is convinced and reverts, praise be to Allah. If he is convinced [of his own position], there is no need for a dispute, and [you should] pray with the congregation, because some people may leave the mosque and not pray with the congregation because the imam performs the qunut in the Fajr prayer. This is wrong. Pray with them, even if the imam performs the qunut. Praise be to Allah.
The questioner:
And that is sufficient.
The Shaykh:
As for the use of a megaphone, if the congregation is large, there is no harm in using it. The use of a megaphone is only for when there is a need. If you find a need, then using a megaphone is appropriate. Yes. And if there is no need, and the congregation can hear the imam's voice, there is no need for a megaphone. But some of the brothers say there is no need for a megaphone given the presence of a loudspeaker. In the present time, in the two Holy Mosques, we say that the loudspeaker is subject to what is subject to it; it may cut out during the prayer. So, having a person who amplifies the voice is a precaution. Yes. The important thing is the size of the congregation. If the congregation is large and they cannot hear the imam with the unamplified voice, there is no objection to using a person to amplify the voice, even if there are loudspeakers, because loudspeakers are subject to what is subject to them and often cut out during the prayer. So, having a person to amplify the voice is a precaution. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, in our country, most mosques perform the qunut in the Fajr prayer and use a megaphone. The question is: do we rebuke the imam on this issue, or is there leeway in the matter since it is a subject of scholarly disagreement?
The Shaykh:
The qunut in the Fajr prayer is a matter of scholarly disagreement, as you have heard. The Shafi'i school holds it to be a recommended practice, and it is also attributed to the Maliki school as a recommended practice in the Fajr prayer. So, if the imam is Shafi'i or Maliki and holds this view, do not rebuke him, because he holds this view and follows his imam, and this is what he has adhered to; do not rebuke him. As for you, if you become the imam, follow what you consider to be the stronger position. Yes. The imam of the mosque is not under your authority, but if you discuss it with him in the spirit of discussion, if you discuss it with him in the spirit of discussion, that is a good thing. If he is convinced and reverts, praise be to Allah. If he is convinced [of his own position], there is no need for a dispute, and [you should] pray with the congregation, because some people may leave the mosque and not pray with the congregation because the imam performs the qunut in the Fajr prayer. This is wrong. Pray with them, even if the imam performs the qunut. Praise be to Allah.
The questioner:
And that is sufficient.
The Shaykh:
As for the use of a megaphone, if the congregation is large, there is no harm in using it. The use of a megaphone is only for when there is a need. If you find a need, then using a megaphone is appropriate. Yes. And if there is no need, and the congregation can hear the imam's voice, there is no need for a megaphone. But some of the brothers say there is no need for a megaphone given the presence of a loudspeaker. In the present time, in the two Holy Mosques, we say that the loudspeaker is subject to what is subject to it; it may cut out during the prayer. So, having a person who amplifies the voice is a precaution. Yes. The important thing is the size of the congregation. If the congregation is large and they cannot hear the imam with the unamplified voice, there is no objection to using a person to amplify the voice, even if there are loudspeakers, because loudspeakers are subject to what is subject to them and often cut out during the prayer. So, having a person to amplify the voice is a precaution. Yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تابع باب صفة الصلاة - 4 — islamhouse.com (1:00:38)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.