as you call one another: if you wish, you respond; and if you wish, you do not respond. Rather, responding to him is obligatory.

Note: The author did not mention the words, “Indeed, You never fail in Your promise,” because hadith scholars differ over whether they are established or not. Some hold that they are not established due to their irregularity, since most of those who narrated the hadith did not narrate these words. They said: the context calls for their not to be omitted, for it is a context of supplication and praise; and something of this nature may not be omitted unless it is not established, since it is an act of worship.

Other scholars hold that its chain of transmission is authentic and that it should be said, because it does not conflict with the other narrations. Among those who regarded it as authentic was Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, who said that its chain is authentic and that al-Bayhaqi narrated it with an authentic chain. (1) They also said that it is among the words with which a supplication is concluded, as Allah Most High says:

“Our Lord, grant us what You promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Surely You never fail in Your promise.” [Al Imran: 194]

Thus, whoever considers it authentic holds that it is prescribed for him; whereas whoever considers it irregular holds that it is not prescribed for him. The author and our scholars hold that it is irregular and is not acted upon.

Points of Notice:

The first: the apparent meaning of the author’s words is that repeating after the one who gives the iqamah is not a sunnah, and this is the stronger view. It was also said that it is a sunnah, (2) and there is a hadith to this effect narrated by Abu Dawud, but