What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your opinion, O honorable Shaykh, regarding collective supplication after performing the prayers?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your opinion, O Shaykh Muhammad, regarding collective supplication after performing the prayers?
The Shaykh : Collective supplication after performing the prayers is not from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor from the Sunnah of his Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor from the Sunnah of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Rather, it is an invented practice. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 4607Sahih (Al-Albani). And when he (peace and blessings be upon him) would deliver the sermon, his eyes would redden, his voice would rise, and his anger would intensify until he was like a warner of an army, saying: Bulugh al-Maram 2:368.
So this collective supplication, or collective dhikr, after the prayers is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance. What is prescribed for the one praying is to supplicate before he says the taslim, because this is the place of supplication to which he (peace and blessings be upon him) directed, as he said in what is authentic from him in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) when he mentioned the tashahhud:. This is evidence that the place of supplication is at the end of the prayer, not after it. This is also in accordance with correct reasoning, because it is more appropriate for a person to supplicate in his prayer before he turns away from the presence of Allah than for him to supplicate after his prayer.
And what is prescribed after the obligatory prayers is dhikr, as Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:103]. And this was the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the voice with this dhikr, because this is what was known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as is authentic in al-Bukhari from the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: Sahih Muslim 583c. Except if there is a man next to you who is completing his prayer and you fear that you will disturb him; in this case, you should lower your voice to the extent that you do not disturb your brother, because disturbing others is a harm to them. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard his Companions praying in the mosque and raising their voices, he forbade them from doing so and said: As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 59:118. And in another hadith, he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1332Sahih (Al-Albani). Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made clear that a person raising his voice in recitation is a harm to others if there are people around him who are affected by it.
In summary, what comes after the prayer is the place for dhikr, and what comes before the taslim in the final tashahhud is the place for supplication. This is how the Sunnah came. And the dhikr that is done after the prayer, it is prescribed to raise the voice with it as long as it does not harm the person next to one. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O Shaykh Muhammad, and may He magnify your reward for what you have presented to us and to our honorable listening brothers.
Our honorable listening brothers, our guest in this session was the honorableThe Shaykh : Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, professor at the College of Sharia in al-Qasim, and the preacher and imam of the Grand Mosque in Unayzah. May Allah reward him for his excellence, and thank you for your good follow-up. We hope to meet again tomorrow, may Allah keep us and you in good health and well-being by His power and might. This session for today has ended, and may Allah's peace be upon you, and His mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : Collective supplication after performing the prayers is not from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor from the Sunnah of his Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor from the Sunnah of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Rather, it is an invented practice. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation
عليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدي تمسكوا بها وعضوا عليها بالنواجذ وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور فإن كل محدثة بدعةThe enemy has made a morning attack on you. The enemy has made an evening attack on you." He (ﷺ) would also say "Amma ba'du, the best of speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. And the most evil of affairs are their innovations and every innovation is misguidance."
صبحكم ومساكم ويقول : أما بعد فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدي هدي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل بدعة ضلالةSo this collective supplication, or collective dhikr, after the prayers is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance. What is prescribed for the one praying is to supplicate before he says the taslim, because this is the place of supplication to which he (peace and blessings be upon him) directed, as he said in what is authentic from him in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) when he mentioned the tashahhud:
Then we choose from supplication whatever we wish.
ثم نتخير من الدعاء ما شاءAnd what is prescribed after the obligatory prayers is dhikr, as Allah the Exalted said:
And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides
فإذا قضيتم الصلاة فاذكروا الله قياماً وقعوداً وعلى جنوبكمDhikr (mentioning the name of Allah) in a loud voice after obligatory prayers was (a common practice) during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
كان رفع الصوت بالذكر حين ينصرف الناس من المكتوبة على عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمDo not raise your voices over one another in the Qur'an.
لا يجهر بعضكم على بعض في القرآنOne should not trouble the other and one should not raise the voice in recitation
لا يؤذين بعضكم بعضاً في القراءةIn summary, what comes after the prayer is the place for dhikr, and what comes before the taslim in the final tashahhud is the place for supplication. This is how the Sunnah came. And the dhikr that is done after the prayer, it is prescribed to raise the voice with it as long as it does not harm the person next to one. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O Shaykh Muhammad, and may He magnify your reward for what you have presented to us and to our honorable listening brothers.
Our honorable listening brothers, our guest in this session was the honorableThe Shaykh : Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, professor at the College of Sharia in al-Qasim, and the preacher and imam of the Grand Mosque in Unayzah. May Allah reward him for his excellence, and thank you for your good follow-up. We hope to meet again tomorrow, may Allah keep us and you in good health and well-being by His power and might. This session for today has ended, and may Allah's peace be upon you, and His mercy and blessings.