of the Plague of Emmaus, which occurred in Greater Syria during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.

When this type of epidemic befalls the Muslims, the scholars differ—may Allah have mercy on them—over whether one should supplicate for it to be removed. Some scholars say that one should supplicate for its removal, because it is one of the calamities of the age. What could be more serious than an epidemic that may wipe out the nation of Muhammad? People have no refuge but Allah, Mighty and Majestic, so they supplicate to Allah and ask Him to remove it.

Other scholars say that one should not supplicate for its removal. They reason that it is martyrdom, for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us that “the one who dies of plague is a martyr.” (1) They say: We should not perform qunut in order to remove something that is a means for us to attain martyrdom. Rather, we entrust the matter to Allah: if Allah wills, and His wisdom entails that He remove it, He will remove it; otherwise, He will leave it. Whoever perishes from this illness dies with the martyrdom concerning which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave this report.

His statement, “then the imam performs qunut in the obligatory prayers”: the verb “performs qunut” is in the indicative mood, commencing a new clause; that is, except when a calamity befalls, in which case the imam performs qunut in the obligatory prayers. The author did not state the ruling of this qunut, but he excluded it from being disliked. If something is excluded from being disliked, and its practice in prayer is established, then it is recommended. For if its practice in prayer is established, it must be among the prescribed remembrances of the prayer, and thus it is recommended.

Accordingly, the author’s statement, “the imam performs qunut,” means that he does so as a recommended act,