Q626 :Is it the practice in mosques in certain parts
of the Muslim world that the imam offers supplication after he has
finished the prayers and the congregation answer with ‘Amen.’ Is this
supported by Sunnah?
A626 : It is true that this practice is quite netmon
in many parts of the Muslim world. We have no authentic report that the
Prophet ever did this after having finished congregational prayer. He
certainly finished prayer with glorification of Allah and praising Him,
but he did that privately and he instructed his netpanions to do
likewise. The best time to supplicate is after one finishes tashahhud
and just before finishing prayer altogether. If he says a couple of
short supplications at that time, then he follows the Sunnah. He may
lengthen that supplication as much as he wishes, if he is praying
alone. However, supplication by the imam during the prayer, with the
congregation confirming the supplication with the word ‘Amen’, which
means ‘Answer our prayer, our Lord,’ is acceptable. This form is known
as ‘qunoot.’ The Prophet did that in witr prayer and in other prayers
in times of urgent need facing the Muslim netmunity or when some of its
members or the whole netmunity were in distress. Therefore, qunoot in
witr is a Sunnah, while it is renetmended in times of distress.
[Added: Allah has directed in Qur’an – Surah “The Heights” whose
translation in English may be rendered as:”Call upon your Lord humbly
and in secret. Lo! He loveth not the transgressors” (7:55) and again
“And do thou (O Muhammad) remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and
with awe, below thy breath, at morn and evening. And be thou not
neglectful.”(7:205) Thus Allah directs secret supplication.]
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )