from Anas, who reported that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—performed qunūt after bowing; Ayyūb, from Muhammad, who said, ‘I asked Anas’; and Hanzalah al-Sadūsī, from Anas—four chains of transmission. As for ‘Āsim, he said, ‘I said to him, and he replied, “They lied. He only performed qunūt after bowing for one month.”’” He was asked, “Who narrated this from ‘Āsim?” He replied, “Abū Mu‘āwiyah and others.” Abū ‘Abd Allāh was asked, “Do not all the other hadiths place it after bowing?” He replied, “Yes, all of them—the reports of Khufāf ibn Īmā’ ibn Rahadah and Abū Hurayrah.” I said to Abū ‘Abd Allāh, “Why, then, do you permit qunūt before bowing, when the authentic report places it after bowing?” He replied, “Qunūt in Fajr is after bowing. In Witr, performing it after bowing is preferred, but there is nothing wrong with performing it before bowing, given the practice of the Prophet’s Companions—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and their differences on this matter. In Fajr, however, it is after bowing” (1).

In response, we say: It is astonishing that this authentic hadith, whose authenticity is agreed upon and whose transmitters are leading authorities—trustworthy, precise masters of hadith—should be declared defective, while reliance is placed upon the likes of Abū Ja‘far al-Rāzī, Qays ibn al-Rabī‘, ‘Umar (2) ibn Ayyūb, ‘Amr (3) ibn ‘Ubayd, Dīnār, and Jābir al-Ju‘fī (4)! Rarely does anyone take up (5) a position and defend it in every matter without being driven to this approach.