Is it permissible for imams to openly supplicate (make du'a) aloud after the five prescribed prayers if the Ministry of Endowments obliges them to do so? And what should the obliged imam do? Is there any scholar who approves of the action of some Salafi youth who stand up and do not complete their adhkar (remembrances) when the imam makes du'a?
Reciting dhikr aloud after prayers is permissible and has a basis in the Sunnah, but it should not disturb those who are catching up on their prayers. As for congregational dhikr, it is an innovation (bid'ah) that has no basis in the Prophetic Sunnah, whether it is everyone repeating in one voice or the imam supplicating and the congregants saying "Ameen" to his supplication. The fact that people recite dhikr aloud does not mean that congregational dhikr is permissible. Scholars such as Ibn Baz, Al-Uthaymeen, and Al-Fawzan have clarified that the permissible dhikr is for each individual separately, and that people gathering to recite dhikr in one voice is an innovation. Al-Shatibi holds that adhering to a specific manner, time, or place for worship without a legal proof is considered an innovation. The imam may supplicate aloud with the intention of teaching, not as an act of worship. It is permissible for anyone who does not wish to participate in the congregational supplication to leave or complete their dhikr individually, as long as no harm or mischief results from it.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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