Question:-
After the congregational prayer, many people get up and leave the gathering without participating in Dua, particularly after the Asr and Fajr Salaah. Is this correct? What is the status of Dua?
Answer:-
When the Imaam terminates his Salaah then the Iqtidaa (following) of the Imaam also terminates and comes to an end. It is then up to the followers to either remain seated to make Dua or to get up and leave.
The followers are not bound and obliged to follow and join the Imaam in his Dua. It is therefore incorrect for people to make an issue or to object to those leaving immediately after Salaah before the Dua. At the most, the Dua after Fardh Salaah can be considered to be Mustahab (recommended) and not compulsory. And then too, the Mustahab method is that the Imaam should make this Dua silently and the Muqtadees (followers) should also make their individual Du’aas silently.
Each person knows about his own needs that he wishes to put before Allah Ta’ala. As soon as a person completes his Dua, he may get up and leave and does not have to wait for the Imaam to complete his Dua. Since seeing that this method of Dua is Mustahab (recommended), if someone does not make Dua at all, and gets up, he should not be criticized or ostracized. If people begin to object and have a problem with those who stand up and leave, it will create the impression that these people regard the Dua to be compulsory whereas it is not. To regard a Mustahab act as compulsory can result in the act becoming a Bid’ah (innovation).
However, one should realize at the same time that according to some narrations, the Dua made after Fardh Salaah readily gains acceptance in the Court of Allah Ta’ala. It is mentioned in a Hadith of Tirmidhi that someone asked Rasulullah ﷺ the question اي الدعاء اسمع i.e. “Which Du’aa is the most readily accepted?” to which Rasulullah ﷺ replied, جوف الليل الأخير ودبر الصلوة المكتوبة“The Du’aa in the late hours of the night and the Du’aa after Fardh Salaah.” Hence, the importance of Dua after Fardh Salaah can never be over emphasized particularly in this day and age when the Ummah is facing so many trials and tribulations across the globe.
It is through crying and supplicating before Allah Ta’ala that conditions will change for the best Insha’Allah. Rasulullah ﷺ is also reported to have said in a Hadith mentioned by Imaam Ahmed (Rahmatullahi Alaih) in his Musnad and also by Imaam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi Alaih) in Al-Adabul-Mufrad, الدعاء هو العبادة i.e. “Dua is Ibaadah.” (meaning that Dua is the essence/core of Ibaadah). Now, if majority of the congregation leave the Masjid without making Dua at all, then the importance of engaging in Dua will be lost. Our younger generation will observe the practice of their seniors and follow suit.
Furthermore, when a person leaves to go immediately after the Fardh Salaah, he could cross the path of Masbooqs (those who have missed some Rak’aats) and resultantly become sinful for doing so. If there are no Masbooqs, then too to go out of the Masjid or to go to the back, he would have to jump over the shoulders of people still engaged in Dua in the back rows, thereby causing inconvenience to them, which is also forbidden. We therefore advise that Musallis should be encouraged to participate in the Dua after every Fardh Salaah. Yes, if there is an emergency due to which one needs to leave early or an employee needs to return to work immediately after Salaah then such an individual may leave, otherwise the majority of the Musallis should preferably remain behind and engage in Dua. In this way, one will avoid unnecessary arguments with people who are not aware of the ruling pertaining to making Dua after the Fardh Salaah.
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 27 Rabi-ul-Aakhir 1434 / 02 December 2021
