If the people of a town consider qunut in the Fajr prayer, is it permissible for a da'iyah who does not consider it prescribed to perform qunut with them to avert harm, provided that they accept his knowledge?
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The questioner : Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen (may Allah preserve him), we are in a town whose people follow the Shafi'i school and consider qunut in the Fajr prayer to be prescribed. Sometimes they appoint some young men who do not consider it prescribed, or they appoint him as the imam of the mosque. If he omits the qunut, a harm occurs, which is that they do not pray behind him, or there is conflict and disagreement. Is it permissible for the one who leads them to perform qunut with them, even if he is among those who do not consider it prescribed, in order to avert harm and unite hearts, especially if this imam is striving to spread tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the Sunnah, and they accept him if he agrees with them in the Fajr qunut? If he disagrees with them, they say: "This is a Hanbali," and they do not accept anything from him in terms of knowledge. Please issue a ruling for us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : No, there is no harm in doing this to unite hearts, but he should proceed gradually with them, meaning he should deliver lessons to them that clarify that this is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), until they are reassured and accept it.
The questioner : ... he prays qunut continuously.
The Shaykh : He prays qunut. I say: he prays qunut for the sake of uniting hearts, but as I told you, he should prepare the ground by explaining that it is a bid'ah (religious innovation), but he should not come to them directly and immediately. He should deliver lessons on this topic until it becomes clear to them, and he should say: "I am not on the school of so-and-so or so-and-so; this is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He prayed qunut for a month, cursing a group of people, and then he left it, and he prayed qunut for another group until Allah saved them, and then he left the qunut."
The questioner : Meaning, he prays qunut all the time, or...
The Shaykh : He prays qunut all the time, but he tries to convince them that there is no qunut.
The questioner : They are common people, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, even if they are common people, with much discussion about this, their ideas will change. And Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise, I testify that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
The Shaykh : No, there is no harm in doing this to unite hearts, but he should proceed gradually with them, meaning he should deliver lessons to them that clarify that this is not the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), until they are reassured and accept it.
The questioner : ... he prays qunut continuously.
The Shaykh : He prays qunut. I say: he prays qunut for the sake of uniting hearts, but as I told you, he should prepare the ground by explaining that it is a bid'ah (religious innovation), but he should not come to them directly and immediately. He should deliver lessons on this topic until it becomes clear to them, and he should say: "I am not on the school of so-and-so or so-and-so; this is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He prayed qunut for a month, cursing a group of people, and then he left it, and he prayed qunut for another group until Allah saved them, and then he left the qunut."
The questioner : Meaning, he prays qunut all the time, or...
The Shaykh : He prays qunut all the time, but he tries to convince them that there is no qunut.
The questioner : They are common people, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, even if they are common people, with much discussion about this, their ideas will change. And Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise, I testify that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.