Congregational Du`aa after obligatory Prayers

[bamalli]

Congregational Du`aa after obligatory Prayers

Allamah Abdul-Jaleel Samrodi
   

Reference: 'The Islamic ruling on the practice of congregational du`aa after the five obligatory prayers in the light of the Shariah`. The treatise is in Urdu and is authored by Sheikh Abdul-Huq Salafee, student of Allamah Abdul-Jaleel Samrodi. This extract can be found on page 22.
   

What is the Islamic ruling on the congregational du`aa [supplication] after obligatory prayers, as is practised in the Masaajid by the Imams and the common Muslims today?

I, the insignificant and poor slave of Allah, Abu Abdul-Kabeer Muhammad Abdul-Jaleel Samrodi state:

You should know that the congregational du`aa that is practiced after obligatory prayers, audibly [or silently], by the Imams of the Masaajid along with the worshippers repeatedly responding with "Ameen! Ameen!" aloud has not been [Islamically] legislated in the Qur`an or Sunnah.

Unfortunately, if an Imam of a Masjid does not offer congregational du`aa in the described manner, then the common people become distrustful of him. Hence, this practice has become so common that it is now mistakenly believed to be a part of the obligatory prayer!

After the obligatory prayers, the common people wait to raise their hands and supplicate in congregation. It can be commonly observed that until the Imam raises his hands, not a single person from the congregation is able to raise his hands and supplicate to Allah; this is exactly what is defined in Islam as an innovation, or a Bidah.

With this, the intent is not that if an individual wishes to raise his hands [occasionally] and supplicate to Allah after the congregational prayer, [after reciting the prescribed supplications and remembrances narrated in the Sunnah]. Subsequently, this action of his would also be considered an innovation in Islam. Rather, I say definitely not! To raise one`s hands after the obligatory prayer individually and to supplicate to Allah has been narrated in the books of Sunnah. Refer to Amalul-Yawm wal-Lailah of Imam Abu Bakr As-Sunni and others.

Also at the end of volume two of Meezaanul-Itidaal of Imam Adh-Dhahabee you will find an answer [that is relevant] to a question that was addressed to Imam Sayid Nadir Husain Ad-Dehlawi , who gave a fatwa on the permissibility of raising your hands after the obligatory Salaah [individually, and occasionally] The intent of this fatwa was not to permit the masses to make congregational du`aa and raise their hands together all at once.

Another point to bear in mind in relation to the congregational du`aa is that those Imams who practice congregational du`aa mimic many supplications without knowing or contemplating their meanings, and just constantly repeat them! It has become a custom which is contrary to the Sunnah.

It is the right of every single Muslim that after the congregational prayer, if he wishes to raise his hands and supplicate to Allah, then he is permitted to do so. No one prevents him from doing that. At the same time, it has not been narrated from the early scholars of Hadeeth that the raising of the hands is an obligation and a necessity when he supplicates to Allah individually after the obligatory prayers.

And Allah knows best.