What is the status of Qunoot Naazilah according to the Hanafi Mathhab?

Answer

According to Imaam Abu Hanifah, Imaam Abu Yusuf and Imaam Muhammad (Rahmatullah alayhim), Qunoot Naazilah is not Sunnah. The only Qunoot they recognize as Sunnah is the Qunoot during Witr.

Imaam Tahaawi (Rahmatullah alayh) said that Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood (Radhiyallahu anhu) did not perform Qunoot Naazilah throughout his life although Muslims were involved in wars with the kuffaar at all times. Also, Hadhrat Abu Dardaa (Radhiyallahu anhu) rejected Qunoot Naazilah.

This view is established also by the complete silence of the Mutaqaddimeen Fuqaha of the Ahnaaf, hence the illustrious authors of Hidaayah, Al-Badaa'i, etc. make no reference to Qunoot Naazilah. Qaadhi Khaan also makes no mention of it.

This view is supported by the Hadith of Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallahu anhu): "Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) performed Qunoot for a month, then abandoned it." According to Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallahu anhu), Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) discontinued Qunoot, when the Aayat: "You have no say in the matter. If Allah wills, He will forgive them or punish them, for verily they are oppressors."- Aal-e-Imraan, Aayat 128) was revealed. During the Battle of Uhd when Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was injured, he complained about the kuffaar. Thereupon was revealed this Aayat which terminated Qunoot Naazilah according to Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallahu anhu).

According to Hadhrat Ibn Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu), this Aayat was revealed when Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had cursed the kuffaar during Salaat. These narrations abrogate Qunoot Naazilah. If Qunoot during times of calamity had been the permanent Sunnah practice, the Hanafi Fuqaha would not have presented the view of Naskh (Abrogation).

According to the later Fuqaha of the Ahnaaf, Qunoot Naazilah is valid and permissible. This much later view, centuries after the Fuqaha Mutaqaddimeen, does not explain the complete silence of the most senior Fuqaha and Aimmah Mujtahideen of the Hanafi Math-hab, namely, Imaam Abu Hanifah, Imaam Abu Yusuf, Imaam Muhammad (Rahmatullah alayhim) and of all the early Fuqaha.

According to the Hambali Math-hab, Qunoot Naazilah is Sunnah in only Fajr Salaat. There is considerable difference of opinion in this regard in the Maaliki Math-hab. The preferred view is that it is Mustahab to recite Qunoot silently in only Fajr Salaat.

Qunoot Naazilah in all the Salaat is the view of only Imaam Shaafi (Rahmatullah alayh).