Qunut & Du'a

Edited by Friends of Deoband

While Muslims the world over are humiliatingly powerless to assist their brethren who are being massacred universally, there is one effective strategy that we have to adopt – du'a. Supplicating to Allah for succour is within the ability of every Muslim. Du'a, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said is "the essence of  'ibada (worship)".

In situations of communal and national disaster and fear, Qunut Nazilah is sometimes recited during Salah. Although this is a valid practice, our akabireen advocate Salah al-Hajah (prayer of need) and du'a individually in privacy.

Almost all the imams of our tune who engage in Qunut Nazilah are motivated by riya (show). The followers in the Salah merely fulfil a ritual devoid of soul. The imams who recite Qunut Nazilah are even ignorant of the adab (etiquettes) of reciting this d'ua. The qunut is recited in a situation of national disaster and in a state of hopelessness and helplessness. The situation calls for istighfar (seeking repentance) and tawad'u (humility).

This attitude demands that the imam recites the qunut supplication with a heart overwhelmed with grief and pain. The natural effect will be a du'a expressed in a low tone and humbly. But we find the imams reciting Qunut Nazilah as if they are delivering the Jumu'ah Khutbah. The du'a for this occasion is not to be  discharged aggressively as is the demand of the Jumu'ah Khutbah. Even when the curse of Allah is invoked on the oppressors and aggressors, there should be no belligerency in the voice and expression.

Tahajjud

It is, therefore best for everyone to wake up at the time of Tahajjud and, in the silence and solitude of the night pour out the heart to Allah. Such a du'a emerging from the innermost recesses of the heart finds its way to the heavens and gains ready acceptance (maqbuliyat).

Awake: To The Call of Islam (August 2011) p. 84-85