Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited Qunoot Nazilah in the Isha prayer. In Qunoot Nazilah, he used to recite: O Allah! Grant salvation to Walid bin Walid. O Allah! Grant salvation to Salamah bin Hisham. Grant salvation to Ayyash bin Abi Rabi’ah. O Allah! Grant salvation to the weak believers. O Allah! Send Your severity upon the tribe of Mudar. O Allah! Impose upon them a famine like that in the time of Sayyiduna Yusuf (peace be upon him).”Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) says: One day, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not supplicate for those people. I mentioned this matter, so he said: Did you not see, those people have come (i.e., have been freed). (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) This narration is a clear statement that Qunoot Nazilah is to be recited in prayer at the time when an incident occurs, such as when the enemies of Allah confront the Muslims, or in the case of oppression by a tyrant. When a person is wronged, or is subjected to excess, or some people desire that supplication be made in their favor, or some Muslims are imprisoned by the polytheists and they desire that supplication be made for their deliverance, or if any other situation arises, then in any of the situations we have mentioned, if any such situation exists, a person may recite Qunoot Nazilah in one of his prayers, or in all prayers, or leave it in one prayer and recite it in another. He will recite it after rising from bowing (ruku’) in the last rak’ah of his prayer. He may supplicate by name against whomever he wishes, and by name in favor of whomever he wishes. When such a situation does not exist, a person should not recite Qunoot Nazilah in any prayer. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited Qunoot Nazilah against the polytheists and supplicated for the deliverance of the Muslims. Then a day came when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) abandoned reciting Qunoot Nazilah. Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned this, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Did you not see that those people (have been freed from the captivity of the polytheists and) have come? So this is a clear statement of the correctness of the principle we have mentioned.

Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: He heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Fajr prayer, when he raised his head from bowing (ruku‘), he recited: «رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ» This happened in every second rak‘ah, then he supplicated:“O Allah! Curse so-and-so and so-and-so.”The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) supplicated against those who were associated with the hypocrites, so Allah the Exalted revealed this verse:“You have nothing to do with this matter, whether Allah turns to them in mercy or punishes them; indeed, they are wrongdoers.”

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: During Qunoot Nazilah, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to supplicate for harm against some people, so Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "You have nothing to do with this matter, whether Allah gives them the ability to repent or punishes them; indeed, they are wrongdoers." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) This narration confuses the person who does not ponder over the texts of the narrations and does not acquire the correct understanding of the authentic narrations (and he believes) that the command to recite Qunoot Nazilah in prayer has been abrogated. However, this is not the case, because in the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), which we have mentioned, it is stated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) continued to curse so-and-so and so-and-so. Then Allah revealed this verse: "You have nothing to do with this matter." In this, there is a clear statement that if Allah Almighty grants this person the ability to follow the straight path and guides him to the right way (then he will know) that the command to curse the disbelievers and hypocrites during prayer has not been abrogated. Nor has the command for Muslims to supplicate been abrogated. And the evidence for the correctness of this is the statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Have you not seen those people, that they have come?" These words will make it clear to you that if those people had not come and Allah Almighty had not granted them deliverance from the hands of the disbelievers, then the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would have continued to recite Qunoot Nazilah for them, and he would have continued to do so regularly, despite the fact that Allah Almighty has stated in His command: "You have nothing to do with this matter, whether Allah gives them the ability to repent or punishes them; indeed, they are wrongdoers." In this, there is no statement that the command to curse the disbelievers has been abrogated. Because in this verse, it has been informed that reciting Qunoot Nazilah against the disbelievers is not something that makes one independent of what has already been decided about them, or the punishment that is to be given to them. And what is meant is that they may be granted the ability to repent through Islam, or they may remain steadfast on polytheism, and they may be punished. It is not the case that the command to recite Qunoot Nazilah has been abrogated because of this verse which we have mentioned.

Abu Malik Ashja'i narrates from his father: I have performed prayer behind the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not recite Qunoot Nazilah. I have also performed prayer behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He also did not recite Qunoot Nazilah. I have also performed prayer behind Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He also did not recite Qunoot Nazilah. I have also performed prayer behind Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him). He also did not recite Qunoot Nazilah. I have performed prayer behind Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He also did not recite Qunoot Nazilah. (Then his father) said: O my son! This is an innovation (bid'ah).

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his head to the right while saying salam, to the extent that the whiteness of his cheek would become visible. He would say, "As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah," and he would turn to the left in the same manner while saying salam.

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In prayer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn to the right and to the left while saying "As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah," until the whiteness of his cheek would become visible.

Aamir bin Sa’d narrates from his father: I saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) turning to the right and to the left while saying salam, to the extent that the whiteness of his cheek would become visible. Zuhri stated that this narration has not been heard as a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ismail said: Have you heard every hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? He replied: No. Ismail asked: Have you heard two-thirds? He replied: No. Ismail asked: Have you heard half? He replied: No. So Ismail said: This belongs to that half which you have not heard.

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would turn to the right and to the left while saying salam, to the extent that the whiteness of his cheek would become visible. He would say: "As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh."

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I can forget everything but I cannot forget this. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), during prayer, would turn to the right and to the left saying: "As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah said: The whiteness of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cheeks is as if it is still before my eyes today. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) It has been mentioned that the name of Muhammad bin Muslim’s grandfather is Abu Waddah.

Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would turn his head to the right only once to offer salam, in which he would incline his face somewhat towards the qiblah.