QUESTION:
What is the view on the authenticity of Dua-e-Saname Quraish and what is the background story behind it?
ANSWER:
In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
Dua’ Sanamay Quraish is a supplication of the Commander of the Believers (peace be upon him), in which he curses Abu Bakr, Umar, Aisha and Hafsa. He used to recite it in the Qunut of his prayers. The reward one would get for reciting this supplication is great indeed, for the Commander of the Believers (peace be upon him) said:
He who recites this supplication [in terms of reward] is like a marksman who has shot a thousand arrows in the battle of Badr and Uhud beside the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
This supplication is of reliable value, for it has been recognised and reported by al-Kaf’ami (with whom may Allah be pleased) in al-Misbah and al-Balad al-Amin from Abdullah, son of Abbas. Al-Kaf’ami said regarding this Dua:
There is great mystique and secrecy attached to it. It is one of the most precious supplications. The Commander of the Believers (peace be upon him) used to regularly recite it in the morning, at night and before daybreak.
Also, Sheikh Hassan, son of Salman al-Hili (with whom may Allah be pleased), has reported it in al-Muhtadhar, and so has many other scholars in their jurisprudential compilations.
This particular supplication of the Commander of the Believers (peace be upon him) has been given a great significance by our former scholars; this proves its reliability. Al-Sheikh al-Adham al-Ansari (with whom may Allah be pleased) has also made mention of it in his jurisprudential works on prayers. From our contemporary scholars, our Grand Authority (may Allah prolong his life) has proved its greater significance over all the other Qunut supplications. Moreover, many expositional compilations have been compiled by our scholars of this supplication, such as
Dhukhr al-Amileen Fi Sharh Dua al-Sanamain” by al-Mawla Mehdi, son of Mawla Ali Asghar, son of Muhammad Yusuf al-Qazwini; “Rashh al-Wala’ Fi Sharh al-Dua” by Sheikh Abi al-Sa’adat As’ad, son of Abdul Qadir, son of As’ad al-Asfahani; Sayed Radhi al-Din Ali, son of Tawous; al-Muhaqiq Nasir al-Din al-Tusi; and Sheikh Maytham al-Bahrani, have all taken the supplication from him. Furthermore, al-Mawla al-Iraqi; al-Fadhil Isa Khan al-Ardabily; al-Allamah Yusuf, son of Hussain, son of Muhammad al-Nasir al-Tusi al-Androdi; and Mirza Muhammad Ali al-Mudaris al-Jahardhi al-Najafi, were amongst many other scholars who presented an explication of this Dua.
In terms of the authenticity of the chain; this supplication falls under the same category of all the other known supplications. Dua’ Kumail, Dua al-Sabah, Dua al-Adilah, Dua Abu Hamza al-Thumali, Dua al-Nudbah, Dua al-Mashlool, Dua al-Jawshan al-Saghir and al-Jawshan al-Kabir and many other supplications; they are not recognised as having authentic chains by the convention of later scholars. However, this does not make Dua Sanamay Quriash fall from the rank of reliability, as assumed by ignorants today. This is because the authenticity or soundness of the chain is especially important when it comes to rulings or obligatory acts and duties, whereas the known jurisprudent principle of leniency in deducing proofs for recommended acts, is instead discussed when it comes to supplications. For this reason, no one can reject Dua Sanamay Quraish or arouse suspicion to it, for it has been reported by the same scholars who have reported the other supplications and made it clear that they had only reported the most trustworthy supplications.
The Office of Sheikh al-Habib
