Making Collective Duaa

by Asma bint Shameem 

Making collective duaa itself is not wrong. 

It’s WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW the duaa is made that’s important. 

If it’s done in places and situations that are proven to be from the practice of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam, then it’s good. 

If it’s done In situations where there’s NO proof of it from the practice of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, then it should NOT be done. 

That’s because duaa is an act of worship. 

And every act of worship is TAWQEEFI’. 

That means that we have to have EVIDENCE for that act of worship in the Qur’aan and authentic Sunnah. 

🔺Some examples of when the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam raised his hands and made collective Duaa are when he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam made duaa for the prayer for rain, or the eclipse prayer or when praying Qunoot, or Taraweeh or in Arafah, etc. 

🔺And an example of when he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 

made collective Duaa without raising his hands is when making duaa during Friday Khutbah. 

However, people have taken certain times and places where they make collective duaa although the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam DID NOT do so. 

And they do it VERY RELIGIOUSLY, THINKING they’re doing something good, although IT’S NOT. 

🔺Examples when the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam did NOT make collective Duaa, although PEOPLE DO IT:

- at the end of EACH and EVERY Dars, halaqah, lecture, gathering or get together etc 

They think the duaa is “part” of the dars, or halaqah and the dars/halaqah is not complete without it. 

or 

- when the Imaam finishes Salaah, he makes collective duaa. 

or

- when someone passes away and people make collective Duaa. 

This should NOT be done on a REGULAR basis. 

🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“The basic principle concerning dhikr and acts of worship is that there is no room for adding or subtracting anything.

Allaah should only be worshipped in the ways that He has prescribed; this applies whether it is something that can be done at any time or something that is limited to a specific time and how it is to be done and how many times it is to be done.

With regard to dhikrs and du’aa’s that Allaah has prescribed and all kinds of worship that are not limited with regard to time and numbers, location or a particular way in which they are to be done, it is not permissible for us to adhere to a particular way, time or number; rather we are to do these acts of worship without restrictions as it was prescribed.  

In matters where it is proven in the words or deeds of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam that an action is to be done at a certain time or a certain number of times or in a certain place or in a certain manner, then we should worship Allaah in accordance with what has been prescribed.

It has not been proven from the words or deeds or approval of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam that he recited du’aa’ in unison with others following the prayers, or after reading Qur’aan, or following each lesson, whether that took the form of the imaam reciting du’aa’ and the congregation saying Ameen to his du’aa’, or whether they all recited du’aa’ together in unison.

That was not known at the time of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs or any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them).

Whoever adheres to the practice of reciting du’aa’ in unison following the prayers or after reading Qur’aan or after every lesson has innovated something and introduced into the religion something which is not a part of it.

It was narrated that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:

“Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e. Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected.”

And he said: “Whoever does something that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.” 

If it were prescribed to adhere to a certain way of doing it, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam and his successors (khulafa’) after him would have adhered to that.

We have stated above that no such thing was proven from him or from his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them).

All goodness is to be found in following the guidance of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam and the guidance of the Rightly-Guided Khulafa’ (may Allaah be pleased with them); all evil is to be found in going against their guidance and following the innovated matters against which the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam warned us by saying, “Beware of newly-innovated matters, for every innovation is misguidance.”

(Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/178)

If collective duaa happens SPONTANEOUSLY or here and there ONCE in a WHILE it’s ok. 

Otherwise, to have a ‘PLANNED’ congregational or collective duaa at the end of EVERY class, or gathering or to make this a HABIT or to think that it’s PART of the DEEN, then that becomes BID’AH. 

🍃Someone asked Imaam Ahmad:

“Is it makrooh for people to gather together, calling upon Allaah and raising their hands? 

He said: 

“I do not regard it as makrooh for the brothers so long as they did not meet DELIBERATELY for that purpose, provided they do NOT DO IT on a REGULAR basis.”

🍃Shaatabi al-Maliki said:

“Constantly making Duaa in a form of a congregation was NOT from the actions of the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam  as it was not from the statements of the Messenger, nor was it from that which he allowed.” (al-‘Itissam (1/248)

🍃Ibn Taymiyah said: 

“Meeting together to read Qur’aan, remember Allaah and call upon Him (du‘aa’) is good and mustahabb, so long as it is NOT TAKEN as a REGULAR PRACTICE  like those gatherings that are prescribed in Islaam, and so long as it is not accompanied by any reprehensible innovation.” (Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 22/523)

Therefore, if someone makes duaa at the end of a halaqah or gathering “SOME” of the times and does NOT make duaa at OTHER times, that’s fine. 

However to make duaa after completing a lesson or a halaqah or after Salaah EVERY SINGLE TIME and to think that it’s part of the Sunnah or something you HAVE to do, each time you meet, then that’s NOT from the Sunnah. 

There’s NO PROOF of this action from the practice of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam or his Sahaabah. 

And Allaah knows best