Participating in the Fajr Qunūt under the pretext of keeping unity, and not to cause differing

Question:

May Allah be good to you O Shaykh, a person complies to the following of the Imām in making the Qunūt in Fajr, while he knows that the Hadīths in its regard are weak.
And used a fatwa of Shaykh-Ul-Isām as a proof and that of ‘Utheymīn, may Allah have mercy upon them both, which allow the following of the Imam in the Qunūt as to preserve the unity of the society and as a distancing from splitting.

Bearing in mind that the people in that area don’t consider lack of performing it as differing and don’t see anything wrong in not performing it.

We seek some clarification.

Answer:

Innovation comes coupled with splitting, as the Sunnah comes coupled with unity, as mentioned by Shaykh-Ul-Islām and Ash-Shātibi and other than them.

And the proof for this is the statement of the Most High:

(فَنَسُوا۟ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَأَغْرَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ ٱلْعَدَاوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ)

“but they have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So We planted amongst them enmity and hatred”
[Al-Māida:24]

The abandoning of acting upon the Sunnah is from the means of the actualisation of differing in the Ummah.

Allah, the Most High, said:

(وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ۝ وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتُ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ)

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.

And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment.”
[Āl-i-Imrān:104-105]

This verse points towards that the rebuking of innovation and being at contrast with it is from the means of the Ummah’s success.

And the lack of rebuking innovation and its perpetration is from the means of splitting.

The ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Utheymīn, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“The prohibition of splitting after the mention of ordering the good and forbidding the evil points to that leaving the ordering of good and forbidding the evil is a cause of splitting.”

[End of speech]

If this became clear; then it’s obligatory upon he who prays behind an Imām who perpetrates innovation of the type which does not nullify the prayer with its perpetration, like the continous Qunūt in the Fajr prayer, to not follow the Imām in his supplication and innovation.

Verily this Qunūt upon this description is an innovation, of the affairs which isn’t from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ nor that of the Khalifs after him, rather there is rebuke of this by the Companions.

Ahmad and the authors of the sunnan reported on the authority of Sa’d bin Tāriq Al-Ashja’ee that he said:

“I said to my father: indeed you have prayed behind
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and behind Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān and ‘Ali, may Allah pleased with them all, did they perform the Qunūt at Fajr?

whereby he said: My Son: it’s newly introduced.”

[End of speech]

And it’s found in “As-Sahīhl Musnad“.

Shaykh-Ul-Islām, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Whoever pondered over the Hadīth’s will come to know, with certainty, that the Prophet ﷺ did not consistently perform the Qunut in any prayer, not Fajr nor other than it, for this reason, it hasn’t been narrated from any Companion, rather they rebuked it, and not one person has narrated from the Prophet ﷺ not a single letter which could insinuate that he would do this Qunūt continuously, rather what was narrated from him was that he would do it when there was a need, like supplicating for a people upon other people.”

[Al-Fatāwa 4/414]

Imām Al-Wādi’ī, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:
We pray the Fajr prayer behind an Imam who performs the Qunut, what do we do while he is performing it?
Especially if he prolongs it?

Whereby he replied:
All praise is due to Allah there is no misguidance through the evidences, we advise Ahlussunnah if their able to have distinction from the innovators, to do so.
Even if it’s by building a Masjid from palm tree leaves, until Allah makes easy for a person who does good to come and build a masjid for them.

As for if you was forced to pray behind him, your prayer is correct in-sha-Allaah, but you don’t follow him in performing the Qunūt, when the people say Aameen, don’t say Aameen.

As for raising the hands; this hasn’t been established from the Prophet ﷺ, it had come by way of ‘Abdullah bin Naafi’ bin Abul-‘Umyā, and he is weak.
And it has come in the Musnad of Ahmad in a Hadīth which outwardly portrays authenticity, but the Hadīth which is in Al-Bukhari doesn’t contain this addition, being the raising of the hands.
Upon this, we remain upon the lack of it being established until it’s established, and the unauthenticity of the Hadeeth mentioning the raising of the hands.

So you don’t say Aameen after him, and remain standing and your prayer is correct in-shā-Allah, the Messenger ﷺ said:

(صلوا فإن أصابوا فلكم ولهم وإن أخطأوا فلكم وعليهم)

“Pray and if they are correct then it’s for you and for them, and if they are mistaken then it’s for you and against them.” “
[End of speech from the tape: Questions from the youth of Qusay’ir]

So there is no following the Imam in his innovation in this Hadīth -as mentioned by Imām Al-Wādi’ī- rather in it is that his mistake is against him, and we are not included in this as long as we didn’t act upon his actions.

When will the Sunnah become clear and distinct from innovation in regards to the prayer and other than it if we followed those Imāms upon their innovation?!

So it’s obligatory to be at contrast to their innovation by being silent in the Qunūt and the lack of following them in it.

Following the Imām in his innovation contains many harms, from it is:

➖Increasing the ranks of those that commit this innovation.
➖Deception of the people by us commiting it.
➖Calling towards it by performing it.
➖Veneration of the perpetrator by following him.

Doing this will mix Sunnah with innovation, and Innovation will become Sunnah.

And refuge is sought from Allah.

Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allah preserve him.

Source:
t.me/abouhatem/142
t.me/abouhatem/143

Answered on:
26th, Saffar, 1438H

Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani