Vaccines are Permissible; Differing on the Topic Ended Long Ago, as Salafi Scholars Have Said

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Recently, we learned from our respected scholar, Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Bukhary (may Allah preserve him), that the scholarly differing over the permissibility of vaccines had actually come to an end long ago, when he informed us:

 فقد تكلم أهل العلم حول هذه القضية منذ زمن طويل لما بدأ ظهر أمر اللقاحات حصل بين ذلك أخذ وعطاء فيما مضى، ثم استقر الأمر على أن هذا الأمر من الأمور التي لا تنافي التوكل ولا تضادُّه، إنما هي من الأخذ بالأسباب الشرعية

“…The people of knowledge have indeed spoken about this issue, a long time ago, when the issue of vaccinations first came about. Some back and forth discussion took place in the past, until the matter was settled, that this is one of those issues that does not invalidate tawakkul (trusting Allah) nor contradict it. It is merely an issue of taking legislated steps [of safety]…”

Source: The recently published article, “Is it Sinful to Discourage People From Taking the Covid-19 Vaccine?” (click here to read)

This was surprising for many to learn about, as some had presumed that the scholars still differed over this topic. One might say: “Perhaps Shaykh Abdullah al-Bukhary misspoke when saying this, as we have not heard this from the people of knowledge (other than him), and claiming consensus is a very serious issue, as an established consensus among the scholars actually ends the discussion.”  Continue reading

COMPILATION: The Speech of the Salafi Scholars About Covid-19 & Other Helpful Resources

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The following is a compilation of very important resources from the Salafi scholars living through this pandemic, aware of its specific details, in order to return matters of global emergencies to those qualified to speak about them for proper determination, as Allah has commanded:

return things to ahlul ilm in nawaazil

One of the most important and relevant resources on the topic for us in the West is this: Five questions from Ustaadh Moosaa Richardson posed to the senior authority of Fatwaa (Religious Verdicts) in this time, the Mufti Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal Shaykh (may Allah preserve him):

  1. How do we know exactly what nawaazil (pending issues in need of verdicts) are…?

  2. What should be done if we enter a mosque these days -the days of the Coronavirus-, and we find that the people of this masjid are not distancing themselves from one another, nor are they implementing the safety protocols of the authorities, in non-Muslim lands…?

  3. In the West, we have some doctors among the Muslims, people of Sunnah and [good practice of] Religion, people known for their love of Islamic knowledge and its dissemination. However, in these days specifically, they oppose the official Health agencies, saying that there is no need for the well-known protocols of safety which those officials instruct the people to observe…?

  4. What should be our stance on those who talk about So-and-So, the government official, in their private gatherings, actually naming one of the authorities in the land of the Two Sacred Mosques, saying that he is causing corruption in the land, because he closes mosques and puts restrictive limits on those who come for Hajj and ‘Umrah, requiring them to follow harsh safety restrictions, which leads to the ruin of the sacred places [of worship]?

  5. What is our stance on those who say that the governmental leaders in the Land of Tawheed have made decisions during this pandemic based on blindly following the West, without consulting the people of knowledge?

Continue reading

One Who Avoids Prayer in Congregation Because of the Gaps Between People in the Row

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The following question was posed to Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan, Member of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Verdicts and Research and the Council of Senior Scholars (may Allah preserve him):

ما رأي فضيلتكم شيخ صالح فيمن يصلى في البيت ويترك صلاة الجماعة بحجة التباعد ظنا منه أن الصلاة غير جائزة في مثل هذه الحالة؟

What is the opinion of your excellence, Shaykh Saalih, about someone who prays at home and leaves off the prayer in congregation, justifying that with the issue of distancing (i.e. the gaps between people in the row), assuming that the prayer is not allowed to be offered in this way? [1]

الجواب: هذا يعذر بالجهل، إن كان جاهلا فيعذر بالجهل. أما إذا كان متعمدا فإنه لا يجوز له ذلك، مفارقة الجماعة، نعم.

The answer: This one can be excused because of ignorance. If he is ignorant, then he is excused because of ignorance. However, if he is doing this on purpose [knowing that it is actually valid], this is not permissible for him, [it is] separating away from the jamaa’ah (congregation, i.e. without right).

SOURCE: The live radio program, Noor ‘Alad-Darb, dated: Sunday 1443/1/27, at about 13 minutes into the program. [Arabic Audio]

TRANSLATION: Moosaa Richardson

FOOTNOTES:

[1] This question is specifically about the distancing that is established between people in the prayer rows during the Covid-19 Pandemic, something deemed necessary for the preservation of health and safety by the Muslim scholars, leaders, and top health officials. [See: Social Distancing During These Times is an Obligation From Allah; It Only Increases Our Love for One Another by Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan.]

FURTHER RESOURCES ON THE TOPIC OF COVID-19 REGULATIONS AND ISLAM:

Questions From the West About Covid-19 Answered by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal Shaykh

Do not Listen to Those Warning Against the Vaccine; Returning to the Truth is Better than Persisting in Harm and Falsehood, by Shaykh Mohammad bin Ghalib al-Omari

One Who Cannot Wear a Mask During the Covid-19 Pandemic is Excused from Congregational Prayers, by Shaykh Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi 

The Ruling on Forging Vaccination Records in Order to Avoid the Vaccine, by Shaykh Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi 

Regarding Those Who Insist that Coronavirus and the Vaccination is a Conspiracy, by Shaykh Mohammad bin Ghalib al-Omari

PDF: Nine Advices As Relates the Novel Coronavirus by the Mufti Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal Shaykh

PDF: A Summary of Verdicts Issued by the Permanent Committee of Scholars Concerning the Coronavirus Epidemic [Anwar Wright]

MP3 Audio: Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan on the Obligation of Social Distancing During the Covid-19 Outbreak [Phrase-by-phrase translation]

PDF: Advice of Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Bukhari About Coronavirus

Video: Healthy, Realistic, Practical Optimism During the Coronavirus Outbreak (Youtube)

PDF: Fleeing From the Decree to the Decree [Rahmaaniyyah, Abul-Hasan Maalik]

Video: Don’t Downplay the Seriousness of the Coronavirus! (Youtube)

MP3 Audio: Key Lessons About the Coronavirus [Hassan Somali]

Article: Social Distancing During These Times is an Obligation From Allah; It Only Increases Our Love for One Another

PDF: The Issue of Contagion – An Islamic Perspective [Taqweem Aslam]

Article: What Blessings Could Come From the Closing of Masjids?!

Khutbah: Coronavirus – How Muslims Understand it & Other Epidemics

MP3 Audio: Q&A About Coronavirus Conspiracy Theorists [Hassan Somali]

Social Distancing During These Times is an Obligation From Allah; It Only Increases Our Love for One Another

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The following translation of the advice of a great scholar is being provided to assist our brothers and sisters in taking the correct stance on serious matters of public safety, in a time of confusion and widespread opinions, in order to obey Allah’s Command to return these important matters back to our leading authorities:

ولو ردوه إلى الرسول وإلى أولي الأمر منهم لعلمه الذين يستنبطونه منهم
“Had they only returned it back to the Messenger and those in authority among them, those of them capable of extracting the ruling would know it.” [4:83]

The more serious a matter becomes, and the more lives which are harmed by unqualified rulings related to it, the more dire the need becomes to return the matter back to only the senior scholarly resources of this Ummah.

Regarding the issues surrounding the current global pandemic, our world has become flooded with opinions and claims about wearing masks, social distancing, and even the very existence of a pandemic in the first place! To avoid confusion, let us fear Allah, remain silent and cautious, and implement the Quranic methodology of returning such serious matters of global safety back to the leaders of our Ummah, the ones whom He, the Most High, has made responsible for providing us with direction in the most difficult of issues!

One such scholar, al-‘Allaamah Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan (may Allah preserve him), is one of those great senior resources of knowledge in our times, known and trusted by the Muslims worldwide for his knowledge, insight, and sound creed. He has spoken about the Islamic obligation of social distancing recently, during the 1441 Hajj season. (audio) The following are a translation of his words of advice, in which he emphasizes the following important matters:

  • The obligation of social distancing
  • The temporary nature of this distancing
  • Mutual love will increase because of it
  • Gaps in the prayer rows must be maintained
  • Social distancing is in everyone’s best interests
  • Allah’s Help is needed to remove the pandemic

Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan (may Allah bless and protect him) said:

“Taking steps to protect oneself is an objective, especially in gatherings during the two ‘Eeds, the five [daily] prayers, and Jumu’ah. They must keep a distance from each other these days, fearing the spread of the contagion. There is to be a gap between each two people. Aside from this circumstance, it is Continue reading