The Jurisprudence of Qunut in Times of Calamity
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Is it permissible to recite qunut for our Muslim brothers in Yugoslavia at this time, or is it not?
What I see is: That the qunut in times of calamity is contingent upon the one in authority, as is well known in the school of Imam Ahmad, where they stated: only the imam recites the qunut,The Grand Imam, meaning: The king, and likewise, if he orders qunut, we recite it.
Therefore, the better course in such a case is to wait for the state’s order. If the one in authority orders it, we recite qunut; otherwise, we do not. It is better for the community to remain on a single front than to be divided.For example: If I recite qunut and the mosque next to me does not, or if we, the people of one town, recite it while other towns do not, this divides the community and scatters it. Gathering the scattered is among the best things. Perhaps some of you know that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), in the final period of his caliphate, began to complete the prayer in Mina,Meaning: praying the four-rak'ah prayer as four rak'ahs. The Companions disapproved of this, and when Ibn Mas'ud heard of it, he said,And he said: "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return," considering this a calamity. They were praying behind him four rak'ahs.It was said to Ibn Mas'ud: [O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, how do you pray four rak'ahs when you have disapproved of him?So he said: Disagreement is evil] .
It is better for the community to be in a single state, because students of knowledge have broad chests that accommodate disagreement, but the general public never have chests that accommodate disagreement.
So what I advise our brothers is not to rush in a matter in which they should be patient, especially since the door of supplication is open. One can supplicate for them during prostration, after the final tashahhud, during the night prayer, and between the adhan and the iqamah.I mean: Supplication is not restricted to qunut alone. It is true that qunut is a general occasion that prepares the entire community for supplication and allows them to devote themselves to it, but leaving it to each person’s whim and dividing the people is not acceptable.
This is what I see to be good.
What I see is: That the qunut in times of calamity is contingent upon the one in authority, as is well known in the school of Imam Ahmad, where they stated: only the imam recites the qunut,The Grand Imam, meaning: The king, and likewise, if he orders qunut, we recite it.
Therefore, the better course in such a case is to wait for the state’s order. If the one in authority orders it, we recite qunut; otherwise, we do not. It is better for the community to remain on a single front than to be divided.For example: If I recite qunut and the mosque next to me does not, or if we, the people of one town, recite it while other towns do not, this divides the community and scatters it. Gathering the scattered is among the best things. Perhaps some of you know that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), in the final period of his caliphate, began to complete the prayer in Mina,Meaning: praying the four-rak'ah prayer as four rak'ahs. The Companions disapproved of this, and when Ibn Mas'ud heard of it, he said,And he said: "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return," considering this a calamity. They were praying behind him four rak'ahs.It was said to Ibn Mas'ud: [O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, how do you pray four rak'ahs when you have disapproved of him?So he said: Disagreement is evil] .
It is better for the community to be in a single state, because students of knowledge have broad chests that accommodate disagreement, but the general public never have chests that accommodate disagreement.
So what I advise our brothers is not to rush in a matter in which they should be patient, especially since the door of supplication is open. One can supplicate for them during prostration, after the final tashahhud, during the night prayer, and between the adhan and the iqamah.I mean: Supplication is not restricted to qunut alone. It is true that qunut is a general occasion that prepares the entire community for supplication and allows them to devote themselves to it, but leaving it to each person’s whim and dividing the people is not acceptable.
This is what I see to be good.