An Adaptation from Ash-Shaykh Bazmuul's Sharh Sifatis Salatin Nabiyy
pp.171-2
Question: Where is the place to say duaa Al Istiftaa?
Answer: The place to say duaa Istiftaa is between takbeerah al-ihraam [the initial takbeer] and recitation of suratul faatihah, with the evidence narrated from Aboo Hurayrah [who] said: " Allaah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) used to observe silence for a shortwhile between the takbeer (at the time of opening the prayer) and the recitation of the Qur’aan. I said to him: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, what do you recite during your period of silence between the takbir and the recitation? He said: I say (these words):" O Allah, remove my sins from me as Thou hast removed the East from the West. O Allah purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth. O Allah! Wash away my sins with water, snow and hail."[Bukhaaree and Muslim collected it].
Question: What is the ruling of duaa istiftaa?
Answer: What is glaring from what was reported in the narration of the one who prayed badly is, it's an obligation, because the prophet ordered the one who prayed badly to say it.
The Prophet sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said to the one who prayed badly [Khallaad bn Raafi'] as it is in the report:
"The Salaah of anyone of you is incomplete until he says Allaahu Akbar, then extols and praises Allaah, and reads whatever is easy for him in the Qur'aan"
To me ,the preponderance is: it is from the recommended acts [of Salaah],it is not from the obligations.
The evidence of its recommendation is:
The first issue: The Messenger of Allah sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam did not specify a certain format to stick to, had it been an obligation, he would have stuck to a certain format in the duaa'.
You have seen it in many narrations that some of the formats were from the companions; they used to open prayer with them. Example of the format of the duaa which the compiler [Ash Shaykh Naasirddeen Al Albaanee] mentioned under section 8 and 7; that one of the companions used to open the [the Salaah] with his saying; "AlhamduliLlaahi Hamdan Katheeran Tayyibban Mubaaraka feehi"
He -sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam- said:
Indeed, I have seen twelve angels racing with one another as to who will take them up (to Allah).
This indicates that the duaa is left to the praying person, he should say whatever he wishes. Had it been an obligation, the Messenger sallaLlaahu alayhi sallam would have specified it and he would have refuted the companion that initiated this format!
The second issue that indicates it is not an obligation is the narration of Aboo Hurayrah, it was reported in it that Aboo Hurayrah - radiyyaLlaahu 'anhu - asked the Messenger of Allah - sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam-He said: my mother and father be sacrificed for you, what do you say between takbeeratul ihraam and the[recitation of] suratul faatihah? He said: Allahumma baa'id bayna khtaayaaya kamaa baa'dta bayna al mashriq wa al maghrib...[till the end]
I [Ash Shaykh Bazmool] say: this narration shows that it is not an obligation. The Prophet taught him how to offer Salaah but did not teach him duaa al istiftaa, had it been it is an obligation, it would have been an obligation to teach him from the onset. Since he did not teach him initially shows that it is not an obligation.
The evidence that he did not teach him initially is: He asked the Messenger sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam about his murmuring between takbeeratul ihraam and recitation of al faatihah. If he [Aboo Hurayrah]knew the place as the place to say duaa istiftaa, he would have not asked the Messenger of Allah sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Majority of the people of knowledge are upon that duaa' istiftaa is recommended.
Question: Is there any specific format for duaa' al istiftaa?
Answer: Duaa' istiftaa does not have a specific format, many formats were only mentioned from the Messenger of Allah, this is a kind of multifarious difference. Whatever [from them] that were [automatically]reported are legislated and recommended. So, it is upon a Muslim to be multifarious [in saying] the reported formats.
But if he doesn't memorize anything from it, he should remember Allah and praise Him as per his ability, though it is recommended for him to try to memorize part of what was reported, if he has ability. The best duaa that a Muslim could open his Salaah with after takbeeratul ihraam is what was mentioned from the Messenger sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam in the narrations mentioned by the compiler rahimahuLlaahu.
Question: Is it legislated for a Muslim to combine many formats (together) and say them in a Salaah, or say all of the formats in a Salaah?
Answer: What was mentioned is, he should not say many formats in a Salaah. It is from the Sunnah to open the Salaah with a prayer from the legislated prayers. It is not allowed to combine many formats from the formats of istiftaa, though there is no harm in it yet it contradicts the Sunnah. For a Muslim who follows the Sunnah, if he wishes he can say this format or another format. What is necessary is not to combine many formats in a Salaah, the Sunnah is to diversify by saying this format [in a Salaah] and another [in another Salaah]. If he has not memorized anything from these (prayers), but commenced the prayer with anything with him among the prayers,(and he) thanks, praises, and glorifies Allaah, it is allowed.
It was said in Nazl Al Abraar p.80, An Nawawee said: The Sunnah is to say it silently and the preponderance is that it is not recommended to say it in funeral prayer because it (funeral prayer) is based on swiftness…
