Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
When making up fajr prayers is it still a sunnah mu’akkada to do the dua during the qunoot?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Unless otherwise stated, the conditions, integrals, sunnas, and invalidators of the prayer mentioned in the books of fiqh apply to *all* prayers, regardless of whether they are obligatory or supererogatory, current performances or makeups. The qunoot is a main sunna (or “sunna mu’akkada”) in the fajr prayer, regardless of whether the fajr prayer is a current performance or a makeup, and regardless of the time in which it is made up.
The specific du’a mentioned in the fiqh books (allahumma-hdina fi man hadayt wa ‘afina fi man ‘afayt etc.) is not required to fulfill the main sunna. One may confine oneself to any dhikr that comprises:
(1) a supplication (du’a)
(2) a praise of Allah ( thana ‘)
(3) invocation of blessings (salat) and peace (salam) on the Prophet (nabi), his folk (aal) and companions (sahb).
(al-Yaqut al-Nafis, p. 37)
The formula: “allaahumma-ghfir lee yaa ghafoor allahumma salli ‘ala sayyidina muhammad wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim” meets the above requirements and is therefore sufficient.[1] (Fath al-‘Allam, 2.251) If one has many makeups to do, one can use this dispensation to speed up one’s fajr makeups.
Note that the Reliance does not fully specify requirement (3) above. I have reproduced the relevant section from the Reliance below and added comments to clarify the intent of the text.
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f8.53 (…) The words of this supplication are not set and (h: the main sunna of the qunut) may be accomplished by pronouncing any supplication (O: and praise) or Koranic verse containing a supplication, such as the last verses of al=Baqara (Koran 2:285-86), though the above words (h: meaning the famous du’a most often recited in qunut) are better. After this, one invokes blessings (h: and peace) on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) (h: and also on his folk and companions. Sending blessings and peace on the Prophet, his folk, and companions is also a main sunna whose nonperformance calls for the forgetfulness prostration).
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And Allah knows best.
wassalamu ‘alaykum
Hamza.
[1] The formula means: “O Allah, O Oft-Forgiving One, forgive me! O Allah, send blessings and peace on our Master Muhammad, his folk and his companions”
Requirement (1) is fulfilled by “forgive me”,
requirement (2) is fulfilled by “O Oft-Forgiving One”,
and requirement (3) is fulfilled by “O Allah, send blessings and peace on our Master Muhammad, his folk, and his companions”.