What is the supplication of qunut, and is it permissible to add to it, especially in Ramadan, where some imams frequently recite rhymed supplications and synonymous phrases?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. What is the supplication of qunut? And is it permissible to add to it? Especially in Ramadan, where some imams frequently recite rhymed supplications and synonymous phrases. Please guide us in light of this question.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Qunut is of two types: qunut in the obligatory prayers and qunut in the witr of the voluntary prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the obligatory prayers, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to perform qunut in the obligatory prayers in all five prayers, but only in cases of severe calamities befalling the Muslims, such as harsh wars in which the Muslims are defeated, or their reciters or scholars are killed, or the like. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). The supplication in it includes praise and glorification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and sending prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), followed by a supplication appropriate to the removal of the calamity according to the nature of that calamity. Qunut is not performed in the obligatory prayers except in this state, meaning if a calamity befalls the Muslims. So qunut is not performed in Fajr, nor in Zuhr, nor in 'Asr, nor in Maghrib, nor in 'Isha. Some of the Imams (may Allah have mercy on them) held the view of performing qunut in the Fajr prayer, but the correct view is that it is not done. However, since this issue is one of the matters of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), we say that whoever prays behind an imam who performs qunut should follow him in the qunut and say "Ameen" to his supplication. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "If I follow someone who performs qunut in Fajr, I follow him and say 'Ameen' to his supplication." This is part of the jurisprudence of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that matters of independent legal reasoning should not be a cause for the division of Muslims and the difference of their hearts, for this is something that the mercy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has encompassed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Mishkat al-Masabih 3732.
As for qunut in the witr, it has come in the Sunan that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them both) a supplication to recite in the qunut of the witr:Mishkat al-Masabih 1273. There is no harm in a person adding a suitable supplication that brings the hearts to presence and makes the eyes weep, but not in the manner described by the questioner, with rhymed, forced, and tedious supplications. Some people have even told us that some imams remain for half an hour or more while supplicating. This is undoubtedly contrary to the Sunnah. If it is suitable for the imam and two or three of the congregation, it is not suitable for the others. Among what is included in this supplication is what some people say: "O He whom the describers cannot describe, and whom the eyes do not see". We have spoken about their saying: "and whom the eyes do not see" in a previous session. Likewise, "whom the describers cannot describe" is a great error. If this were taken at face value, it would be an affirmation of the doctrine of the people of denial (ta'til) who deny the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and do not describe Allah with anything. It is a false expression. This is because Allah the Exalted is described with attributes of perfection. We describe Him as the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, the King, the Holy, the Peaceful, the Trustworthy, the Overseer. We describe Him as the Possessor of Majesty and Honor. We describe Him as having a Face, and having Hands, and having Eyes. We describe Him with everything by which He has described Himself. So how is it correct for us to say: "whom the describers cannot describe"? This is a false expression. If the imams who supplicate with it knew its content, they would never have said it. It is true that we do not comprehend the attributes of Allah, meaning we do not comprehend their modality or form, because Allah the Exalted is too great for people to fully know the modality of His attributes. For this reason, when Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked, and he was sitting teaching his students, a man said to him: "O Abu 'Abdullah, [Taha 20:5] how did He rise above (istawa)?" Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) lowered his head and began to sweat profusely, because this is a great question that struck the heart of a believer who holds Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in high esteem, so he was affected in this way. Then he raised his head and said: "O this one, the rising above (istiwaa') is not unknown, and the modality (kayf) is not conceivable, and belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation" (may Allah have mercy on him). His saying: "the rising above is not unknown" means that it is known; it is the elevation above the thing in a manner specific to Him.
"The modality is not conceivable" because the modality cannot be grasped by the intellect; Allah is too great for the intellects to encompass. "Belief in it is obligatory" means that belief in the rising above (istiwaa') with its meaning, and ignorance of its true reality as it is, is obligatory, because Allah has informed us of it about Himself, and everything that Allah has informed us of about Himself is the truth.
"And asking about it", meaning about the modality of the rising above, "is an innovation". It is an innovation first because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not ask about it, nor did those who are more eager than we are to know Allah (Glorified and Exalted), and more intense than we are in learning knowledge, and who had before them one who was more knowledgeable about Allah than we are. So asking about it is an innovation. Also, asking about it is an innovation for another reason: that only the people of innovation ask about it. For this reason, Malik said to him: "I do not see you as anything but an innovator". Then he ordered him to be taken out of the mosque. He expelled him from the Prophet's Mosque because this is spreading corruption in the land, and among the punishment of those who spread corruption in the land is that they are expelled from the land. For this reason, we say to our brothers who affirm the attributes: Beware of asking about the modality. Beware of delving into asking about what you have not grasped knowledge of from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger, for this is delving and affectation. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:.
In conclusion: the saying of the supplicants in their supplication: "whom the describers cannot describe" is a denunciation-worthy saying that is not permissible to describe Allah with. Rather, the describers describe Him as He has described Himself (Mighty and Majestic). As for describing the modality of the attributes, yes, no one grasps it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this blessed guidance. This is a questioner, Abu 'Abdullah, who says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Qunut is of two types: qunut in the obligatory prayers and qunut in the witr of the voluntary prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the obligatory prayers, it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to perform qunut in the obligatory prayers in all five prayers, but only in cases of severe calamities befalling the Muslims, such as harsh wars in which the Muslims are defeated, or their reciters or scholars are killed, or the like. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). The supplication in it includes praise and glorification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and sending prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), followed by a supplication appropriate to the removal of the calamity according to the nature of that calamity. Qunut is not performed in the obligatory prayers except in this state, meaning if a calamity befalls the Muslims. So qunut is not performed in Fajr, nor in Zuhr, nor in 'Asr, nor in Maghrib, nor in 'Isha. Some of the Imams (may Allah have mercy on them) held the view of performing qunut in the Fajr prayer, but the correct view is that it is not done. However, since this issue is one of the matters of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), we say that whoever prays behind an imam who performs qunut should follow him in the qunut and say "Ameen" to his supplication. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "If I follow someone who performs qunut in Fajr, I follow him and say 'Ameen' to his supplication." This is part of the jurisprudence of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that matters of independent legal reasoning should not be a cause for the division of Muslims and the difference of their hearts, for this is something that the mercy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has encompassed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
When a judge gives a decision having tried his best to decide correctly and is right, he will have a double reward; and when he gives a decision having tried his best to decide correctly and is wrong, he will have a single reward.
إذا حكم الحاكم فاجتهد فأصاب فله أجران، وإن أخطأ فله أجر واحدAs for qunut in the witr, it has come in the Sunan that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught al-Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them both) a supplication to recite in the qunut of the witr:
O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled.
اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت، وعافني فيمن عافيت، وتولني فيمن توليت، وبارك لي فيما أعطيت، وقني شر ما قضيت، فإنك تقضي ولا يُقضى عليك، إنه لا يذل من واليت، ولا يعز من عاديتThe Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.
الرَّحْمَانُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى"The modality is not conceivable" because the modality cannot be grasped by the intellect; Allah is too great for the intellects to encompass. "Belief in it is obligatory" means that belief in the rising above (istiwaa') with its meaning, and ignorance of its true reality as it is, is obligatory, because Allah has informed us of it about Himself, and everything that Allah has informed us of about Himself is the truth.
"And asking about it", meaning about the modality of the rising above, "is an innovation". It is an innovation first because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not ask about it, nor did those who are more eager than we are to know Allah (Glorified and Exalted), and more intense than we are in learning knowledge, and who had before them one who was more knowledgeable about Allah than we are. So asking about it is an innovation. Also, asking about it is an innovation for another reason: that only the people of innovation ask about it. For this reason, Malik said to him: "I do not see you as anything but an innovator". Then he ordered him to be taken out of the mosque. He expelled him from the Prophet's Mosque because this is spreading corruption in the land, and among the punishment of those who spread corruption in the land is that they are expelled from the land. For this reason, we say to our brothers who affirm the attributes: Beware of asking about the modality. Beware of delving into asking about what you have not grasped knowledge of from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger, for this is delving and affectation. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
The affectationists are ruined.
هلك المتنطّعونIn conclusion: the saying of the supplicants in their supplication: "whom the describers cannot describe" is a denunciation-worthy saying that is not permissible to describe Allah with. Rather, the describers describe Him as He has described Himself (Mighty and Majestic). As for describing the modality of the attributes, yes, no one grasps it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this blessed guidance. This is a questioner, Abu 'Abdullah, who says.