Reciting Qunoot at Fajr during difficult times

Asslamu alaikum,

Apologies for the long absence - I'm two lessons behind but with your du'as will catch up insha'Allah. had no internet for a while and subdued with dunya tasks. hope to get back on track. Final part of lesson 127....
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Chapter 5 – Chapter about the Qunoot before and after the rukuh

545. وَعَنْهُ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ: أَنّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْقُنُوتِ, فَقَالَ: قَدْ كَانَ الْقُنُوتُ, فَقِيلَ لَهُ: قَبْلَ الرّكوُعِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ قَالَ: قَبْلَهُ. قيل: فَإِنّ فُلاَنًا أَخْبَرَ عَنْكَ أَنَكَ قُلْتَ بَعْدَ الرّكُوعِ فَقَالَ: كَذَبَ, إِنّمَا قَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ الرّكُوعِ شَهْرًا, أُرَاهُ كانَ بَعَثَ قَوْمًا يُقَالُ لَهُمُ الْقُرّاءُ, زُهَاءَ سَبْعِينَ رَجُلًا, إِلَى قَوْمٍ مِنَ المُشْرِكِينَ دُونَ أُولئِكَ, وَكانَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَهْدٌ, فَقَنَتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَهْرًا يَدْعُو عَلَيْهِمْ.وَفي رواية عَنْهُ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَنَتَ النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَهْرًا, يَدْعُو عَلَى رِعْلٍ وَذَكْوَانَ. رواه البخاري: 1002 (Hadeeth 545, Book of Witr, al Tajrid al Sarih)

Imam Bukhari (رحمة الله عليه) mentions the Qunoot in this chapter. According to most scholars, Qunoot is only recited in Witr, but the ulema differ as follows:
1. Is it to be recited in Witr?
2. Is it to be recited in any other salah?
3. What are the words?
4. Should Qunoot be recited before or after salah?

Imam Bukhari (رحمة الله عليه) answers one of these questions here as will be eluded to insha’Allah.

Qunoot means humility, obedience, servitude, silence, prayer etc. Hence, the word means different things but in this context it means du’a (supplication).

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Malik (رضى الله عنه) was asked about Fajr salah – whether the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) recited the Qunoot. It wasn’t a continuous practice (only for a short time). Some sahabah wouldn’t pray qunoot.

The commonly available English translation of this hadeeth is as follows:

Narrated Anas bin Mâlik رضى الله عنه about the Qunut. He replied, Definitely it was (recited). It was asked, Before bowing or after it? Anas replied, Before bowing. I added, So and so has told me that you had informed him that it had been after bowing. Anas said, He has told a lie. Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم recited Qunut after bowing for a period of one month. (Anas added), The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent about seventy men (who knew the Qur'ân by heart) towards the pagans (of Najd) who were less than they in number and there was a peace treaty between them and Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم (but the pagans broke the treaty and killed the seventy men). So Allâh's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم recited Qunut for a period of one month invoking Allâh to punish them. (i.e. Ri'l and Dhakwân (tribes)).


This translation is incorrect – it says “he has told a lie”. The Shaykh explained that in this context the correct translation should be “he erred” or “he made a mistake”. Anas ibn Malik (رضى الله عنه) says that he did not say it like that to the person but it was related to a specific circumstance.

The qunoot was performed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in this manner only for a short time.

The hadeeth relates to an incident in the 4th year og Hijrah. A Pagan Arab leader called Amir visited the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in Madinah. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) invited him to Islam. He refused to accept but was courteous. He talked positively, and said that why don’t you send some of your companions with me and I will send them out further, and they can invite people to Islam.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) selected a group from Ashab al-Suffa (companions of the verandah). They were very poor and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) loved them dearly. For example, the hadeeth about the poor entering Jannah 500 years before the rich was narrated to them by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They were the huffaz mentioned in this hadeeth. They had memorized whatever had been revealed of the Qur’an. Some narrations say the group consisted of 66 ansaar and 4 muhajir.
Amir proved to be treacherous. He allowed his people to attack them and kill them. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sent a letter. Haraar (رضى الله عنه), the uncle of Anas ibn Malik (رضى الله عنه) went to deliver the letter. Someone speared Haraar (رضى الله عنه) was soon as he arrived. His words when he was speared were “I have succeeded by the Lord of the Ka’ba”, and he wiped blood on his face.
Amir and his people didn’t have a treaty with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Other tribes did but they joined Amir and his people and began massacring the companions. Only one sahabi survived. He was mistakenly thought to be dead by the pagans. He died a year later at the battle of the trench.
Allah revealed verses of the Qur’an about these sahabah but they were later abrogated – “Inform our people that we have met our Lord, our Lord is pleased with us and we with Him”.

After this treachery the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prayed a special Qunoot after Fajr salah.