tribes, but did not cease qunūt itself. This alone does not establish a regular sunnah practice in prayer. Al-Hākim’s grading of a report as authentic carries less weight than al-Tirmidhī’s grading of one as good. He frequently grades fabricated reports as authentic, for he is known for his leniency in this regard. Moreover, this very hadith does not specify whether qunūt was before or after bowing. Yet he said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, offered qunūt after bowing for only one month.”

This is an authentic, explicit report from Anas that he offered qunūt after bowing for only one month, so that interpretation is invalid. Qunūt before bowing may mean prolonging the standing before bowing, whether or not any additional supplication is made. In that case, the wording would not indicate qunūt in the sense of supplication.

Some have held that offering qunūt regularly in all five prayers is recommended, arguing that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, offered it in them, without distinguishing between regular and occasional qunūt. This is an anomalous view.

The third view is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, offered qunūt because of a circumstance that befell him, then ceased when that circumstance no longer applied. Thus, qunūt is prescribed in times of calamity. This is the view held by the jurists among the hadith scholars, and it is what is transmitted from the Rightly Guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them. For when ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, fought the Christians, he recited against them the qunūt supplication