This book is titled: The Supplication for Completing the Qur'an by Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Nasir al-Sa'di. I ask for clarification on the validity of attributing this book to the Shaykh, as this book is distributed in the mosques.

The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : This book is titled: The Supplication for Completing the Qur'an by Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Nasir al-Sa'di. I ask for clarification on the validity of attributing this book to the Shaykh, as this book is distributed in the mosques?

The Shaykh : Yes, this supplication for completing the Noble Qur'an by Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di exists, and it also exists for a Shaykh who preceded him, namely Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). As for what is attributed to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, some of the brothers have examined the works he wrote through his student Ibn al-Qayyim and did not find this. As for our Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him), he would complete the recitation of the Qur'an in the tarawih prayers and in the night prayers, then he would supplicate with this supplication or something similar to it; the important thing is that he would supplicate with a supplication (may Allah have mercy on him). It might have been this one or another, but I remember from him that when he reached the last rak'ah of the tarawih, for example, and the Qur'an was finished, he would raise his hands and supplicate before bowing. He did the same in the night prayer of tahajjud, because people in the past took great care in maintaining the completion of the Qur'an in the tarawih and in the tahajjud. They would allocate one reading for the tarawih and one for the tahajjud, and they would strive for this with utmost effort. But now the situation has changed; some people see that this completion in prayer has no basis from the Salaf, as Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned, saying "This is not known to have a basis from the Salaf", and he disliked it (may Allah have mercy on him). Some scholars have said that it is recommended, but without saying that it is based on a specific text. So the matter is broad in this regard; whoever supplicates with this completion or another has no blame on him, if Allah wills. And whoever does not do so is better in terms of the prayer. As for whoever completes the recitation outside of prayer, it is authentically reported from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) "that when he completed the Qur'an, he would gather his family and supplicate". As for in prayer, it has not reached us that anyone from the Salaf used to supplicate with the completion supplication.
But here is an issue: some of the brothers, some of the young men, were strict about this and confronted us with disapproval, saying, "How do you follow the imams of the Haram who supplicate after completing the Qur'an? It is an innovation." They became severe in their disapproval. I remember that one of them, once when we were in Makkah, followed me from the Sacred Mosque to my residence, pressing me, asking, "Why do you follow them? If you follow them, you are following them, and the people, and this is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance." Yes, they are strict about this and also leave the mosque. We say this is a mistake. If these imams see that it is recommended, as is the well-known position of Imam Ahmad in the books of his students, then this is their independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). And if I am praying behind them, I follow them, even if I see that it is not from the Sunnah. The principle for this is indicated by what was reported from the Companions and from Imam Ahmad himself. As for what was reported from the Companions, the Commander of the Faithful, Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him)—and you know his caliphate was long; how long was it? Twelve years—"he used to pray Zuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha' as two rak'ahs in Mina at the beginning of his caliphate. He remained with this for six or eight years", according to the difference in the two narrations. "Then he completed the prayers and began to pray Zuhr as four, 'Asr as four, and 'Isha' as four. The Companions disapproved of him, until Ibn Mas'ud, when he heard the news, said: 'To Allah we belong and to Him we return.'" He considered this a calamity. But despite that, they prayed with him and completed the four rak'ahs. "It was said to Ibn Mas'ud: 'O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, how do you disapprove of Uthman and then pray four rak'ahs with him?' He said: 'Disagreement is evil.'" And he was truthful (may Allah be pleased with him) that disagreement is evil. And for this reason, meaning, let some of you obey others and not disagree with one another, so disagreement is evil. So I say, if the imams of the Haram or other imams see that this supplication after completing the Qur'an is recommended, and I am a follower behind them, then I follow them, just as the Companions did with whom? With Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). And the issue of Uthman is greater than this, because it was an addition to the prayer. As for Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), he did not see the qunut in the Fajr prayer, but he said, "If you pray behind an imam who does the qunut in the Fajr prayer, follow him and say 'Ameen' to his supplication." Glory be to Allah, he followed him even though he saw that it was an innovation. He said, "Follow him and say 'Ameen' to his supplication." This is how the imams give due consideration to disagreement and see that disagreement divides the Ummah, and that agreement is the good.
On this occasion, I would like to point out an issue, which is the 'Isha' adhan in Ramadan. We received a directive from the authorities, from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which is the authority in this matter because it acts on behalf of the King, and may Allah guide him, that the 'Isha' adhan is at two o'clock, meaning two hours after the Maghrib adhan. We saw some people calling the adhan before that, calling it when an hour and a half or an hour and two-thirds have passed. I do not think that is stubbornness, but ignorance of the matters. We saw some people adhere to this. Those who adhered to this achieved three good things: First, obedience to Allah. Second, kindness to people. Third, agreement with the Sunnah. Three issues. As for obedience to Allah, delaying the adhan to two o'clock is obedience to Allah, because Allah said: The authorities told us in Ramadan to make the adhan after two hours. We say, "We hear and obey." This is not disobedience.
Second, it is kinder to people, because people take their time with their evening meal if they eat after Maghrib, drinking coffee, drinking tea, visiting one another, performing wudu, and coming with leisure. So it is kinder for people.
And as for it being more in agreement with the Sunnah, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to recommend delaying the 'Isha' prayer, and the later it is, the better, until Then, if some mu'adhdhins call the adhan a quarter of an hour or half an hour before others, there is disagreement in one country, and disagreement is evil. Because you find that one has prayed and the other is calling the adhan. Look, glory be to Allah, in one country, we have one authority, one goal, and we disagree all this following desires. Some people might say that there are, for example, great Shaykhs who come early and say, "Come, call the adhan and the iqamah." We say, "Satisfy them, my brother. These Shaykhs, if you inform them that the delay is in compliance with the order of the authority, whose order is to be obeyed like the order of Allah, and that it is more in agreement with the Sunnah, and that it is kinder for most people, they will be satisfied. And the night now in this month, is it short or long? It is long with us, so I mean that the appearance of disagreement among people is a bad appearance, and a person should lower himself for the sake of agreeing with his brother, unless it returns to something that harms him in his religion or his worldly affairs, then that is another matter.