PROGRES.ID – Lately, after the Israeli attacks on Palestine, especially in the Gaza region, there have been frequent recommendations to perform Qunut Nazilah. But what exactly is Qunut Nazilah, and how is it done? How does it differ from the Qunut of Fajr (Subuh)?
As quoted from NU Online, in Arabic, the word “qunut” means to bow down, humble oneself before Allah, to have a moment of silence, or to stand in prayer. Later, this term was used for specific supplications during prayers.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed Qunut in various situations and in various ways, as narrated in many hadiths about Qunut. There were times when the Prophet performed Qunut in every five daily prayers, especially when there was a nazilah or calamity. Nazilah refers to a disaster or calamity that befalls the Muslim community, such as oppression or injustice against them.
Qunut Nazilah itself is Qunut performed when a calamity befalls the Muslim community. For example, at one point, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed for the mustadh’afin, those who were oppressed in Mecca when 70 Quranic teachers sent to teach Islam to a tribe were betrayed and killed. The Prophet prayed for them in his prayer as an expression of empathy and support.
If we usually perform Qunut during the Fajr or Witr prayer, Qunut Nazilah can be performed in any prayer, depending on the need and situation. According to Imam Shafi’i, it is recommended to perform Qunut Nazilah in every five daily prayers, after the last bowing (ruku’), both by the imam and by individuals praying alone (munfarid). For those who are followers (makmum), they can affirm the supplication made by the imam. Therefore, the implementation of Qunut Nazilah is similar to Qunut of Fajr in terms of procedure.
The supplication in Qunut Nazilah is similar to the prayer taught by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), with additional prayers relevant to the ongoing calamity. For example, in the event of a conflict or war in Palestine, during Qunut Nazilah, we can ask Allah to grant justice and protection to our brothers and sisters there and pray to Allah to curse those who act unjustly.
