Principles & Benefits
of
Sending Salat and Salam on the Prophet
<< Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat on the Prophet. O you who believe, Send Salat upon him, and send complete Salam upon him.>>
Part Six
Sending Salat in the Qunoot of the Witr Prayer
Translated & Compiled
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
A series on issues regarding sending the Salat and the Salam upon the Prophet.
Sending Salat in the Qunoot[1] of the Witr Prayer
Muhammad Nasir- ud-Deen Al-Albaani said:
‘Abu Haleemah Mu’adh al-Qari used to send Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- in the Qunoot in Ramadan, as was narrated by Qadi Isma’eel bin Is’haq – as is mentioned in ‘Jelaa’ and its Isnaad is Saheeh, and it is also narrated by Ibn Nasr.
This ‘Mu’adh’ is a young Companion – as is mentioned in ‘at-Taqreeb’ – and he is Ibn al-Haarith al-Ansaari an-Najaari. He is one of those whom Umar –Radi Allaahu anhu– appointed to lead the Taraweeh prayer.’
It has been affirmed in the hadeeth of Ubayy bin Ka’ab being the Imam for the people in the night prayer in Ramadan and that he used to send Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- at the end of the Qunoot, and that was at the time of Umar –Radi Allaahu anhu.
[Collected by Ibn Khuzaimah in his book ‘Saheeh’]
Therefore, this extra wording [of sending Salat] in the Qunoot of Witr is legislated, due to the Salaf acting upon it. So it is not appropriate to outright say that this extra wording is a Bida’, and Allaah knows best.
As for sending Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- in the Qunoot of Fajr prayer; that has not been mentioned at all. Rather Ibn Qayyim said:
‘Sending Salat was transferred from the Qunoot in the Witr prayer to the Qunoot of Fajr based on analogy; just like the origins of this Dua’ was transferred to the Qunoot of the Fajr prayer.’[2]
[1] Du`aa’ al-qunoot in the witr prayer
Shaykh al-Albaani said:
‘The Prophet -sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam- taught al-Hasan bin `Ali -Radi Allaahu `anhumaa– to say, when he finishes reciting in the witr prayer:
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ ، فإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ ، وَإِنَّهُ لا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ ، وَلا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ ، ولا منجا منك إلا إليك
Allaahumma ihdinee feeman hadayt, wa `aafinee feeman `aaffayt, wa tawallanee feeman tawallayt, wa baarik lee feemaa a`tayt, wa qinee sharra maa qadaayt, fa-innaka taqdee wa la yuqdaa `alayk, wa innahu laa yathillu man waalaytt, wa laa ya’izzu man ‘aadayt, tabaarakta rabbana wa ta`aalayt, laa manjaa minka illaa ilayk.
‘O Allaah guide me like those whom You have guided and pardon me like those whom You have pardonded and place me under the guardianship of those whom You have placed as guardians and bless me in that which You have given. Protect me from the evil of what You have decreed, since indeed You decree and none can decree upon You. Indeed the one to whom You are a Guardian is not humiliated and there is no honour for the one to whom You are an enemy. Indeed our Lord You are the One who gives blessings and is the Most High. There is no escape from You except to You.’
[From Original Sifat Salaat 3/973- 975]
[2] From Original Sifat Salah 3/977- 978