Imam saying du’aa’ with the congregation following Jumu’ah prayer
Question:
The khutbha of Juma is completed and two fard of Juma are read. After this the Imam turns and everyone joins in with dua, is this correct?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What the believer should do is follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in what he did and did not do. He should do what the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did and refrain from what the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and remembers Allaah much”
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
The imam saying du’aa’ following an obligatory prayer – Jumu’ah or any other – and the congregation saying Ameen is something that was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or by any of his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). If it was good they would have done it before us.
Based on that, this action comes under the heading of blameworthy bid’ah (innovation). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you lives after I am gone will see great disputes; you must adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Hold on to it and cling fast to it. And beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a going astray.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4607) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces something into this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2697) and Muslim (1718).
Al-Shaatibi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book al-I’tisaam (1/349-355) du’aa’ in unison after the prescribed prayers, and he explained that this is an innovation (bid’ah), because it was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or by any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with the,), or the imams after them.
So we must give up this bid’ah, and strive to recite the dhikrs and du’aa’s that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say after prayer. The one who wants to say du’aa’ should do so quietly.
And Allaah knows best.