The Ruling on Qunut in Witr and in Fajr
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Question:
Also, the listener (M. M. A.) from Makkah al-Mukarramah asks: According to Imam Malik, qunut is performed in the second rak'ah of the Fajr prayer, and according to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, qunut is performed in the Witr of the 'Isha' prayer. What is the evidence for each of them?
And thank you.
Answer:
Qunut is prescribed at night, not in 'Isha', but after 'Isha' until the end of the night. This is prescribed according to everyone. Qunut at night is prescribed according to all scholars of knowledge; it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Witr is between the 'Isha' prayer and the dawn, and qunut is prescribed in it; due to the hadith of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, who said: "The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me words to say in the qunut of Witr:Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745Sahih (Darussalam)... the hadith. This is what is prescribed, Witr according to everyone.
As for qunut: I do not know about it now whether it is a matter of consensus or a matter of disagreement, but it is a recommended practice (sunnah) without doubt, even if there is no consensus on it. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) due to the hadith of al-Hasan regarding qunut in Witr at night.
As for the qunut that some scholars perform in the morning, such as the Shafi'is and the Malikis, it is -according to the correct view- not prescribed, except in times of calamity. If a calamity befalls the Muslims, such as an enemy surrounding a city, or a city of the Muslim cities, they perform qunut in Fajr, and in other than Fajr, to supplicate against them.
As for the permanent qunut in Fajr, this is not prescribed according to the correct view. Those who argued for its permissibility cited a hadith reported from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he said: "As for the morning, he did not cease to perform qunut until he departed this world." But this is a weak hadith, and hadiths came explaining that he did not cease to perform qunut, meaning: specifically in times of calamity.
And as for those who said: It is not prescribed in the morning, their evidence is clearer. It is what Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and others narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Sa'd ibn Tariq, who said: "I said to my father Tariq ibn Ashim: O my father, you prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and behind Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali. Did they perform qunut in Fajr? He said: O my son, you are one who speaks of new things." This hadith indicates that it is a newly invented matter, and that it is not appropriate in the morning except in times of calamity. As for doing it permanently, the correct view is that it is a newly invented matter, and it is not prescribed.
And those who said for its permissibility, perhaps this hadith was hidden from them; this hadith of Sa'd ibn Tariq did not reach them. If it had reached them, they would have acted according to it, but perhaps it did not reach them, or it reached them and they interpreted it other than its apparent meaning.
So the conclusion is: The correct and stronger view is that qunut is in Witr at night, and also in times of calamity in Fajr and other times of calamity. As for continuing to perform qunut in the Fajr prayer permanently, the correct view is to leave it, and that it is not prescribed due to the hadith of Tariq ibn Ashim, which I have heard. And acts of worship are based on evidence; nothing is permissible from them except what has evidence for it. But if a person prays behind one of these people, there is no harm; he follows him in that; because he has a doubt in this matter, so there is no blame if he prays with one who performs qunut in Fajr and follows him, there is no blame in that. But the one who does that is advised; he is advised that the best, the better, and the stronger is to leave that; because Tariq mentioned that this is a newly invented matter, and that it was not the custom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor the custom of his Companions, the Rightly Guided Caliphs. And what is such; the obligatory is to leave it, except if a cause is found for it, of the kind mentioned before, like the kind of calamities. Yes.
Also, the listener (M. M. A.) from Makkah al-Mukarramah asks: According to Imam Malik, qunut is performed in the second rak'ah of the Fajr prayer, and according to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, qunut is performed in the Witr of the 'Isha' prayer. What is the evidence for each of them?
And thank you.
Answer:
Qunut is prescribed at night, not in 'Isha', but after 'Isha' until the end of the night. This is prescribed according to everyone. Qunut at night is prescribed according to all scholars of knowledge; it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Witr is between the 'Isha' prayer and the dawn, and qunut is prescribed in it; due to the hadith of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, who said: "The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me words to say in the qunut of Witr:
Allahumma ihdini fiman hadayta wa 'afini fiman afayta
اللهم اهدني فيمن هديت، وعافني فيمن عافيتAs for qunut: I do not know about it now whether it is a matter of consensus or a matter of disagreement, but it is a recommended practice (sunnah) without doubt, even if there is no consensus on it. It is a recommended practice (sunnah) due to the hadith of al-Hasan regarding qunut in Witr at night.
As for the qunut that some scholars perform in the morning, such as the Shafi'is and the Malikis, it is -according to the correct view- not prescribed, except in times of calamity. If a calamity befalls the Muslims, such as an enemy surrounding a city, or a city of the Muslim cities, they perform qunut in Fajr, and in other than Fajr, to supplicate against them.
As for the permanent qunut in Fajr, this is not prescribed according to the correct view. Those who argued for its permissibility cited a hadith reported from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he said: "As for the morning, he did not cease to perform qunut until he departed this world." But this is a weak hadith, and hadiths came explaining that he did not cease to perform qunut, meaning: specifically in times of calamity.
And as for those who said: It is not prescribed in the morning, their evidence is clearer. It is what Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and others narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Sa'd ibn Tariq, who said: "I said to my father Tariq ibn Ashim: O my father, you prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and behind Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali. Did they perform qunut in Fajr? He said: O my son, you are one who speaks of new things." This hadith indicates that it is a newly invented matter, and that it is not appropriate in the morning except in times of calamity. As for doing it permanently, the correct view is that it is a newly invented matter, and it is not prescribed.
And those who said for its permissibility, perhaps this hadith was hidden from them; this hadith of Sa'd ibn Tariq did not reach them. If it had reached them, they would have acted according to it, but perhaps it did not reach them, or it reached them and they interpreted it other than its apparent meaning.
So the conclusion is: The correct and stronger view is that qunut is in Witr at night, and also in times of calamity in Fajr and other times of calamity. As for continuing to perform qunut in the Fajr prayer permanently, the correct view is to leave it, and that it is not prescribed due to the hadith of Tariq ibn Ashim, which I have heard. And acts of worship are based on evidence; nothing is permissible from them except what has evidence for it. But if a person prays behind one of these people, there is no harm; he follows him in that; because he has a doubt in this matter, so there is no blame if he prays with one who performs qunut in Fajr and follows him, there is no blame in that. But the one who does that is advised; he is advised that the best, the better, and the stronger is to leave that; because Tariq mentioned that this is a newly invented matter, and that it was not the custom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor the custom of his Companions, the Rightly Guided Caliphs. And what is such; the obligatory is to leave it, except if a cause is found for it, of the kind mentioned before, like the kind of calamities. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.