Details of the Qunoot Naazilah

Q: Salaah-103: Although there are no differences about reciting the Qunoot Naazilah, but people are concerned about the apparent disturbance it causes in salaah since it needs to be recited during the salaah. During which circumstances is it to be recited? How did Rasulullaah SAW. Sahabah RADI. make du'aa during their salaah? please explain with references and state in which book is this du'aa found. can a person performing salaah alone recite it or can it be recited only in Jamaa,ah? Can women recite it or men only?

Answer: The Qunoot Naazilah is recited when people have been afflicted by a general calamity, such as an attack by an enemy, a plague or something else. This they do to implore Allaah to remove the calamity from them.

METHOD: The du'aa is recited after Ruku in the second Rakaah of the Fardh of Fajr. It is not necessary to have the hands folded during this time. They may be left hanging on the side because this is the method in vogue and it is not necessary to change it. There should be humility in the tone of reciting the Qunoot Naazilah and the" voice should be softer than when reciting the Qiraa'ah. If the followers know the words, they may recite them silently, otherwise they should merely say Aameen when appropriate.

Rasulullaah SAW. and the Sahabah RADI. recited the Qunoot Naazilah at such times and the Fuqahaa have stated that it is Sunnah to do so. The details are found in the authentic books of Ahadeeth and the books of Islaamic jurisprudence. There is therefore no room for rejecting or doubting its recitation.

It started from the incident of Bir Ma'oona when Rasulullaah SAW. sent some Sahabah RADI. to teach some people when the people insisted that Rasulullaah SAW. send them. These sahabah RADI. very learned in the Qur'aan, whom recited Qur'aan all night and spent the days gathering firewood for a livelihood. It was at a place called Bir Ma'oona that these Sahabah RADI. were ambushed by members of certain tribes and martyred. Only one Sahabi RADI. survived when the enemy left him for dead. He then managed to return to Madinah, where he informed Rasulullaah SAW. about the incident. This pained Rasulullaah SAW. more than any other such incident and together with cursing the tribes involved, he recited the Qunoot Naazilah for a month in the Fajr salaah. The tribes responsible for this inhumane crime were the Ra?l, Dhakwaan, usayyah and Banu Lihyaan. Hadhrat Anas RADI. Says that the Qunoot Naazilah was not recited before this incident.

Shah Wali'ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi RAH. states that it was the practice of Rasulullaah SAW. and the Khulafaa to recite the Qunoot Naazilah and to curse the Kuffaar whenever a tragedy struck. This they did either before or after the Ruku and never forsook the practice.

Allaama Ibn Qayyim RAH. states that Hadhrat Abu Bakr RADI. recited the Qunoot Naazilah when the Muslims were fighting Musaylama Kadhaab and Hadhrat Umar RADI. recited it when the Muslims were fighting the Christians. When Hadhrat Ali RADI. fought Hadhrat Mu'aawiya RADI. Both armies recited the Qunoot Naazilah as well.
Man, women, the Imaam and his followers may all recite the Qunoot Naazilah and there are no narrations restricting it to gender or to being in Jamaa'ah. This is the view of Hadhrat Mufti Kifaayatullaah RAH. as well. women should of curse, not recite it audibly.

The Hanafi Fuqahaa have however differed about whether the Qunoot Naazilah should be recited in audible salaahs otherthan the Fajr salaah. It is therefore inappropriate to argue about the issue and to force anyone to do either.

There are no specific words for the Qunoot Naazilah and different reported words can be recited as the occasion warrants. The following words are most appropriate:
(Pg. 143 vol.2) Fataawaa Rahimiyyah

NOTE: Recite this du'aa before an Aalim to correct any errors in recitation and pronunciation. And Allaah knows best.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2