What is the stronger position regarding the qunut in the Fajr prayer?
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Question:
A brother of ours from northern Yemen, Hamud Muhammad Ali Dalwah—apparently our brother—is asking about the qunut. He says: Some of us in northern Yemen perform the qunut, while others say it is a religious innovation. What is the stronger position in this matter? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The recommended practice (sunnah) is to perform the qunut in the witr prayer, and likewise in times of calamity. If a calamity befalls the Muslims, such as the invasion of the disbelievers upon our brothers in Afghanistan and their like, one performs the qunut for them, supplicating that Allah will aid them, that Allah will grant them success, that Allah will guide their arrows, and that Allah will help them against their enemy.
One also supplicates against the enemies that Allah will defeat their gathering and scatter their assembly. This is called the qunut of calamities. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated against Quraysh when they prevented him from the House, and he supplicated against tribes of disbelievers who killed some of the Muslims. There is no harm in this.
As for the permanent qunut in the Fajr prayer, this is what should be abandoned; because the original ruling is that it is not prescribed. The qunut is only in the witr prayer or in times of calamity; this is the well-known position. The evidence for this is what is established from Sa'd ibn Tariq ibn Ashim al-Ash'ari (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "I said to my father: 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 the qunut in the Fajr prayer?" He said: "O my son, you are an innovator." Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah narrated it with a valid chain. So Tariq was informed that he was an innovator, and an innovator is one who introduces a religious innovation.
Some scholars held that there is no harm in it, and they argued with reports (athar) that were transmitted regarding this, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the qunut in the Fajr prayer. However, these are weak reports. These are weak reports, and even if they were authentic, they would be understood as referring to the qunut in times of calamity, not permanently. This is the stronger position. But if you pray with a person who performs the qunut, there is no harm; because he is following an interpretation, and a group of imams followed the view that this is permissible. So if you pray with him, there is no blame in performing the qunut with him; because he has a doubtful matter (shubhah) and because he has followed a position of the scholars that he adopted and acted upon. So he has a doubtful matter. If he performs the qunut and you pray with them, there is no harm. But this imam should be advised that he should not perform the qunut except in times of calamity. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A brother of ours from northern Yemen, Hamud Muhammad Ali Dalwah—apparently our brother—is asking about the qunut. He says: Some of us in northern Yemen perform the qunut, while others say it is a religious innovation. What is the stronger position in this matter? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The recommended practice (sunnah) is to perform the qunut in the witr prayer, and likewise in times of calamity. If a calamity befalls the Muslims, such as the invasion of the disbelievers upon our brothers in Afghanistan and their like, one performs the qunut for them, supplicating that Allah will aid them, that Allah will grant them success, that Allah will guide their arrows, and that Allah will help them against their enemy.
One also supplicates against the enemies that Allah will defeat their gathering and scatter their assembly. This is called the qunut of calamities. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated against Quraysh when they prevented him from the House, and he supplicated against tribes of disbelievers who killed some of the Muslims. There is no harm in this.
As for the permanent qunut in the Fajr prayer, this is what should be abandoned; because the original ruling is that it is not prescribed. The qunut is only in the witr prayer or in times of calamity; this is the well-known position. The evidence for this is what is established from Sa'd ibn Tariq ibn Ashim al-Ash'ari (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "I said to my father: 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 the qunut in the Fajr prayer?" He said: "O my son, you are an innovator." Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah narrated it with a valid chain. So Tariq was informed that he was an innovator, and an innovator is one who introduces a religious innovation.
Some scholars held that there is no harm in it, and they argued with reports (athar) that were transmitted regarding this, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the qunut in the Fajr prayer. However, these are weak reports. These are weak reports, and even if they were authentic, they would be understood as referring to the qunut in times of calamity, not permanently. This is the stronger position. But if you pray with a person who performs the qunut, there is no harm; because he is following an interpretation, and a group of imams followed the view that this is permissible. So if you pray with him, there is no blame in performing the qunut with him; because he has a doubtful matter (shubhah) and because he has followed a position of the scholars that he adopted and acted upon. So he has a doubtful matter. If he performs the qunut and you pray with them, there is no harm. But this imam should be advised that he should not perform the qunut except in times of calamity. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.