Question:
I was late for Subh prayer and only able to pray starting in the second rakaat and recite the qunut together with the imam. When I continue my prayer adding the first rakaat that I missed, is it necessary for me to repeat the recitation of qunut?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Reciting qunut is a sunnah in Subuh prayer according to madhab al-Syafie. It is done after i’tidal (after one stands up from ruku’) in the second rakaat of Subh prayer and also recited in the second rakaat of Witir prayer in the second half of the month of Ramadhan. It is also recited in the second rakaat of any prayer for qunut Nazilah. (Refer: al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, pg. 89)
Among the evidences of its sanctioning is a hadith from al-Barra’ bin Azib RA:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقْنُتُ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ وَالمَغْرِبِ
"The Prophet PBUH would perform the Qunut in the Subh and Maghrib prayers."
Sunan al-Tirmizi (401). Imam al-Tirmizi states the hadith is hasan sahih.
Is it necessary for a masbuq ma’mum to repeat the recitation of qunut?
According to Imam al-Syirazi, if a masbuq ma’mum is able to pray together with the imam in the last rakaat of prayer, then the rakaat is considered as the first rakaat for him. This is in accordance with an athar of Saidina Ali bin Abi Tolib RA:
ما أدركتَ فهو أوَّلُ صلاتِك
“The rakaat that you are able to follow the imam is the first rakaat for you (masbuq ma’mum)”
Narrated by Imam al-Baihaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/298)
If the prayer consists of qunut, then he must recite the qunut together with the imam and when he stands up to continue his prayer completing one more rakaat, then he should recite the qunut again, the same as when he has already performed the tasyahhud with the imam, he must perform the tasyahhud again when he is completing his rakaat that he had missed. (Refer: Al-Muhazzab 1/180)
According to Imam al-Nawawi, this is the opinion of Sa’id ibn Musayyib, Hasan al-Basri, Ato’, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Makhul, al-Auza’ie and others.
However, according to Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad and al-Tsauri, the rakaat that we are able to follow the imam is our last rakaat and the rakaat that should be replaced is the rakaat in the beginning. This is according to an athar of Saidina Umar al-Khattab RA, narrated by Ibn Umar R.Anhuma:
مَا أَدْرَكَهُ آخِرُ صَلَاتِهِ وَمَا يَتَدَارَكُهُ أَوَّلُ صَلَاتِهِ
“The rakaat of you with the imam is the last rakaat of masbuq ma’mum, and the rakaat that is replaced are his first rakaat.”
However, madhab Syafie supported their opinion, presenting a hadith from Abu Hurairah RA:
فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا
“The part of the prayer you get (along with the imam) offer it, and the part you miss complete it (afterwards).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (635) and Sahih Muslim (602)
(Refer: Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab 4/220)
To conclude, masbuq ma’mum need to repeat the qunut even when he has already recited it with the imam when he is completing his missed rakaat.
Wallahua’lam.