Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa was asked in a letter, “I am the imam, appointed to lead the prayers at my local mosque. I wish to observe the qunut during the Jumuah [Friday] prayer as we are currently passing through a pandemic and Ahmadis are also being persecuted in some countries. However, some of the members are objecting to it. I request your kind permission and guidance in this regard.”
Huzooraa, in a letter dated 12 February 2021, offered the following guidance regarding this issue:
“The Holy Prophetsa gave an extremely valuable piece of advice to the imam, who leads prayers. He said:
إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ الضَّعِيفَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَالْكَبِيرَ وَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ فَلْيُطَوِّلْ مَا شَاءَ
“‘When one of you leads the people in salat, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among you prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Azan)
“As far as observing qunut in prayers is concerned, the ahadith indicate that the Holy Prophetsa observed it for some time even when Muslims faced some calamity. Hence, on the occasions of [the incidents that took place at] Al-Raji and Bi‘r Ma‘unah, when a large number of the Companionsra were martyred by the enemies of Islam through dishonesty and deception, the Holy Prophetsa observed qunut against these opposing tribes for thirty days and prayed against them. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi)
“In addition to this, the Holy Prophetsa also taught the Companionsra the method of qunut during the witr prayer and for this, he also taught them various supplications. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Salat, Bab al-Qunut fi l-Witr)
“Therefore, one kind for qunut is that which is observed during the witr prayer and the other one is that which is observed due to special circumstances, such as when an affliction from an enemy befalls or when an epidemic etc. spreads.
“During the time of the Promised Messiahas, when the plague spread through Punjab in accordance with the prophecy given by Allah the Almighty, Huzooras, following the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa, said:
“‘Nowadays, qunut should be recited in prayers due to the prevalence of the epidemic.’ (Al-Badr, No. 15, Vol. 2, 1 May 1903, p. 115)
“He also said: ‘Everyone should try to get up for Tahajjud and to include qunut in the five daily Prayers as well.’ (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, 2016, p. 192)
“Apart from this, Huzooras also instructed regarding the supplications [ad‘iyah] recited in qunut and instructed that only the ad‘iyah mentioned in the Holy Quran and the hadith should be recited in it. (Badr, No. 31, Vol. 6, 1 August 1907, p. 12)
“Regarding qunut, it should be kept in mind that it is masnun and not obligatory to recite it in the different prayers. Therefore, its observance cannot be declared mandatory. Moreover, the practice of observing qunut during prayers [salat] is substantiated by ahadith and the instructions of the Promised Messiahas, but there is no mention in any narration of it being observed in Friday prayers. Thus, such good deeds, in which others are also participating, should be carried out as far as permitted by the shariah so that nobody is overburdened beyond their capacity.”