Question:
What is the ruling of reciting qunut nazilah when Muslims are tested with great calamity?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
In answering the above question, there was an incident during the life of the Prophet PBUH, where the Prophet PBUH recite qunut nazilah when there was a betrayal that happened and his companions are murdered. The incident is recorded in several hadiths and one of it is narrated by Anas bin Malik RA where he said:
أَنَّ رِعْلاً، وَذَكْوَانَ وَعُصَيَّةَ وَبَنِي لَحْيَانَ اسْتَمَدُّوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى عَدُوٍّ، فَأَمَدَّهُمْ بِسَبْعِينَ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، كُنَّا نُسَمِّيهِمُ الْقُرَّاءَ فِي زَمَانِهِمْ، كَانُوا يَحْتَطِبُونَ بِالنَّهَارِ وَيُصَلُّونَ بِاللَّيْلِ، حَتَّى كَانُوا بِبِئْرِ مَعُونَةَ قَتَلُوهُمْ، وَغَدَرُوا بِهِمْ، فَبَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَنَتَ شَهْرًا يَدْعُو فِي الصُّبْحِ عَلَى أَحْيَاءٍ مِنْ أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ، عَلَى رِعْلٍ وَذَكْوَانَ وَعُصَيَّةَ وَبَنِي لَحْيَانَ.
(The tribes of) Ril, Dhakwan, 'Usaiya and Bani Lihyan asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to provide them with some men to support them against their enemy. He therefore provided them with seventy men from the Ansar whom we used to call Al-Qurra' in their lifetime. They used to collect wood by daytime and pray at night. When they were at the well of Ma'una, the infidels killed them by betraying them. When this news reached the Prophet (ﷺ), he said Al-Qunut for one month in the morning prayer, invoking evil upon some of the 'Arab tribes, upon Ril, Dhakwan, 'Usaiya and Bani Libyan.
Sahih al-Bukhari (4090)
In another narration, Abu Hurairah RA said:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ قَنَتَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ عَيَّاشَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ سَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلَى مُضَرَ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ
When the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Sami' al-lahu liman hamidah (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him)" in the last rak`a of the `Isha' prayer, he used to invoke Allah, saying, "O Allah! Save `Aiyash bin Abi Rabi`a; O Allah! Save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid; O Allah! Save the weak people among the believers; O Allah! Be hard on the Tribe of Mudar; O Allah! Inflict years of drought upon them like the years (of drought) of the Prophet (ﷺ) Joseph."
Sahih al-Bukhari (6393)
According to the above hadiths, Imam al-Nawawi states the strongest opinion in madhhab al-Syafie as:
ان نزلت بالمسملين نَازِلَةٌ كَخَوْفٍ أَوْ قَحْطٍ أَوْ وَبَاءٍ أَوْ جَرَادٍ أَوْ نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ قَنَتُوا فِي جَمِيعِهَا وَإِلَّا فَلَا
“If the Muslims are tested with calamity such as fear, famine, epidemic, (attack) of grasshoppers and others, then qunut nazilah is recited, however, if there is no calamity, then it is unnecessary to recite qunut.” (See al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab, 3/475)
Furthermore, Imam al-Syafie state in his book al-Umm, if there is a calamity or disaster, then it is permissible to recite qunut in times when it is prohibited to recite qunut. This is in accordance with his opinion:
وَلاَ قُنُوتَ فِي صَلاَةِ الْعِيدَيْنِ وَلاَ الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ , وَإِنْ قَنَتَ عِنْدَ نَازِلَةٍ لَمْ أَكْرَهْ
“There is no qunut during the two Eid prayers and Istisqa’ prayers. If there is a disaster or a calamity, then I do not rule it makruh (undesirable),” (See al-Umm, 2/510)
Situations Where It is Permissible to Recite Qunut Nazilah
According to Mulla Ali al-Qari, it is narrated that Saidina Abu Bakar recite qunut during the war with Musailamah al-Kazzab and the war with the people of the book. See Mirqat al-Mafatih (4/417).
It is narrated that Saidina Umar RA, recite the following qunut nazilah in his prayer during the war with the Christians:
" اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ وَلا نَكْفُرُكَ ، وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ ، اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ ، وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ ، وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ ، وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخَافُ عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحَقٌ ، اللَّهُمَّ عَذِّبِ الْكَفَرَةَ ، وَأَلْقِ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ ، وَخَالِفْ بَيْنَ كَلِمِهِمْ ، وَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْسَكَ وَعَذَابَكَ ، اللَّهُمَّ عَذِّبْ كَفَرَةَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِكِ وَيُكَذِّبُونَ رُسُلَكَ وَيُقَاتِلُونَ أَوْلِيَاءَكَ ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ، وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ ، وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِهِمْ وَأَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ، وَاجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَانَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ ، وَثَبِّتْهُمْ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِكَ ، وَأَوْزِعْهُمْ أَنْ يُوفُوا بِعَهْدِكَ الَّذِي عَاهَدْتَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ ، وَانْصُرْهُمْ عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ وَعَدُوِّهِمْ ، إِلَهَ الْحَقِّ وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ
“O Allah, we ask for your help and forgiveness, we praise you and ask you to protect us from disbelief, give us firm faith in you, protect us from ever leaving you and disobedience. O our Lord that we prostrate ourselves to, pray and obey, only towards you we are headed, we hope for your blessings and fear your punishments. O Allah, indeed your punishments are for those who disbelief, then punish the disbelievers with fear and disarray in their hearts. Curse them and punish them; the disbelievers from among the people of the book who obstruct your road and deny your messengers, murder the prophets. O Allah, forgive the believers, strengthen their unity and place in their hearts; belief and wisdom, maintain their faith in the religion of your messenger, and bless them with steadfatness in their belief in your promise and help them against your enemies. O the All True Rabb, make us from among those you help.” See Futuhat Rabbaniyah (3/301).
Conclusion
According to the above discussion, in our opinion reciting qunut nazilah when the Muslims are tested with great disaster or calamity that harm Islam or the Muslim ummah as a whole, such as in wars or betrayal, then it is permissible. As an example, in today’s context, where there are great wars happening in Gaza and Syria, the imam of the Masjid al-Haram recites qunut nazilah for the victory of the Muslims there at the same time asking for the destruction of the disbelievers who are fighting against the Muslims.
In our opinion, Muslims should also increase their istighfar, repentance, charity and obedience in Allah SWT. The reason is, this could help solving the issues that our current ummah are facing. So true is the statement of Allah SWT:
فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا ﴿١٠﴾ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا
“And said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers”
Surah Nuh (10-11)
May Allah SWT bless us with understanding in practising His commandments. Amin.