There is nothing wrong with offering du‘aa’ together after a lecture

|Du‘aa’ is one of the best acts of worship by means of which
the Muslim may worship his Lord. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord
said: ‘Invoke Me, (i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)) (and ask
Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who
scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness,
(Islamic Monotheism)) they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’”

[Ghaafir 40:60]. 

It was narrated from an-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer, that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Du‘aa’ is worship. Your
Lord said: ‘Invoke
Me, I will respond to your (invocation).’”
Narrated and classed as saheeh by at-Tirmidhi, 2969; also narrated by Abu
Dawood, 1479; Ibn Maajah, 3828; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Abi Dawood. 

Here we should point out an important matter about which many
people are confused, namely the difference between “making dhikr together”
and “offering du‘aa’ together”. The former has no basis in Islam; there is
no proof that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
remembered his Lord (i.e., dhikr) with his Companions in unison, or that he
would remember his Lord (recite dhikr) and his Companions (may Allah be
pleased with them) would repeat after him. 

But with regard to offering du‘aa’ together, there is a basis
for doing so in Islam, and it may take many forms. In Qunoot an-nawaazil
(du‘aa’ of qunoot at times of calamity) and qunoot in Witr prayer, the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer du‘aa’ and
his Companions would say Ameen behind him. The majority of scholars are of
the view that the worshippers should say Ameen to the du‘aa’ of the khateeb
on Friday, and when praying for rain (istisqa’), and there are many other
various ways of offering du‘aa’ together. 

With regard to innovated (bid‘ah) ways of offering du‘aa’
together, there are several forms: 

1.When a Muslim calls together a
group of people solely for the purpose of offering du‘aa’

It was narrated that Abu ‘Uthmaan said: A governor wrote to
‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, saying: Here there are some people who gather
together and offer du‘aa’ for the Muslims and the governor. ‘Umar wrote back
to him saying: Come (to me) and bring them with you. So he came, and ‘Umar
said to the doorkeeper, Bring me a whip. When they entered upon ‘Umar, he
began to strike their governor with the whip. 

Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf, 13/360.
Its isnaad is hasan. 

2.People gathering to offer
du‘aa’ in unison

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Dhikr recited together in unison, in secret or openly, where
a specific du‘aa’, narrated in texts or otherwise, is repeated, whether that
is done by everyone or one of them prompts the others, with or without
raising the hands – all of these are actions that require a shar‘i basis
from the Qur’an or Sunnah, because that comes under the heading of worship,
and acts of worship are based on tawqeef (i.e., they should be limited only
to that which is mentioned in the Qur’an and saheeh Sunnah) and on following
(the Qur’an and saheeh Sunnah), not on innovations and inventions. Hence we
looked in the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we did not find any
evidence to support this form of dhikr. Hence we can be sure that there is
no basis for it in sharee‘ah. Anything for which there is no basis in
sharee‘ah is an innovation (bid‘ah). Therefore dhikr and du‘aa’ that are
done in communal form are innovations and every Muslim who follows the
example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
must refrain from and avoid them, and adhere to what is prescribed. 

Based on that, offering du‘aa’ together in unison, whether it
is du‘aa’ at any time or following a certain activity, such as after reading
Qur’an or after an exhortation or lesson – all of that is innovated. 

Tasheeh ad-Du‘aa’, p. 134, 135 

With regard to the du‘aa’ of a lecturer or teacher at the end
of his lesson, and the audience saying Ameen to his du‘aa’, it seems to us
from the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
that this is permissible, and indeed mustahabb (encouraged). 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
rarely left a gathering without offering these supplications for his
companions: “O Allah, give us a share of fear of You that will prevent us
from disobeying You, (a share) of obedience to You that will help us to
reach Paradise, and (a share) of certainty that will enable us to withstand
the calamities of this world; cause us to enjoy our hearing, sight and
strength so long as we are alive, until we die; avenge us against those who
wrong us; support us against those who wrong us; do not make our calamity in
our religious commitment; do not make this world our main concern and all
that we know about; do not send against us those who will show no mercy to
us.”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 3502; classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. 

An-Nawawi included it in his book al-Adhkaar, in a
chapter entitled “Du‘aa’ of a person in a gathering for himself and those
who are with him.” 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)
was asked: 

Sometimes, after giving a lecture or a lesson, the lecturer
offers du‘aa’ and raises his hands; should we sit with him during the
communal du‘aa’ or should we leave after the lecture, before the du‘aa’? 

He replied: 

There is nothing wrong with offering du‘aa’ after a lecture,
exhortation or reminder; there is nothing wrong with offering du‘aa’,
calling upon Allah to help and guide those present, and to grant them good
intentions and good deeds. But I do not know of any evidence for raising
their hands in such cases, and I do not know of any report to that effect
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except some
texts that speak in general terms of raising the hands when offering du‘aa’,
and say that it is one of the means of having the supplication answered. But
I do not remember any report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) to suggest that after he had exhorted or reminded the people,
he would raise his hands and offer du‘aa’. If he used to do that, the
Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) would have reported it, because
they did not omit anything but they reported it (may Allah be pleased with
them). So it is preferable and more on the safe side not to raise the hands
in such cases, unless there is evidence to that effect. With regard to the
speaker offering du‘aa’ for them after he has finished speaking, and saying.
“May Allah forgive us and you” or “May Allah guide us and you,” or “May
Allah cause us and you to benefit from what we have heard,” and so on, there
is nothing wrong with that, and if they say Ameen, there is nothing wrong
with that either. End quote. 

Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, tape
no. 610.