Tag Archives: senior scholars

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

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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]

Nine Advices as relates the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic [Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal Shaykh]

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In the Name of Allah, al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm…

In these days the world is witnessing the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and is utilizing its collective abilities and potentialities to limit its spread and to mitigate the outcome as relates its health, economic, and societal impact. This matter requires that the scholars and students of knowledge assume their roles in clarifying the legislated methodology of dealing with this new epidemic or other contagious pestilence and illnesses, and in explaining the religious rulings of precautionary measures and protective protocols taken by competent authorities such as: suspending work and schooling; curfews and travel bans; the enforcement of social distancing, nose and mouth covering, and quarantine and home isolation for those who have it; as well as other precautionary and protective measures to safeguard human life.

It is known that Allah legislated the religion of Islam to be the methodology of human living so that they may operate in accordance to its laws and teachings. So there is no matter in life and no newly occurring problem except that it has a ruling in Islam. Allah (the Exalted and Most High) said:

“We have neglected nothing in the Book.” [al An’aam: 38]

From such measures and protocols that are legislated in our monotheistic religion that are befitting to utilize at the onset and spread of pestilence and contagious diseases—such as the novel coronavirus—are as follows:

1.) The ban from entering or exiting localities afflicted with pestilence & illnesses.

On the authority of ‘Abd al-Raḥmaan bin ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) say: Continue reading →

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

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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 →

Is Defending and Honoring the Scholars a Call to Blind Following?

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful…

A visitor recently asked about the translation of Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee’s advice to support and defend the honor of the scholars of Islaam (found here), saying:

Since these guys are contemporary men who are human and prone to error and sin like all of us, why would we defend them? Isn’t this a call to blind following? [abridged]

To be clear: We have certainly not promoted the blind following of these scholars, nor have we claimed they are perfect without flaws. Nor are we ever to defend any of them in falsehood.

However, dear questioner, may Allaah give you better than the corrupt manhaj (methodology) of Yasir Qadhi, Almaghrib Institute, and those upon their way, your ideas clearly seem to reflect the opinions they commonly lead people into – a total loss of any meaningful distinction between us and the scholars of Islaam, as it relates to the virtues of the scholars, their special status amongst us, and our need to refer to them to learn our Religion. The goal is to disconnect the people from their scholars, which facilitates the spread of deviation very easily.

May Allaah give you better – If Allaah has commanded us in His Quran (more than once) to ask the people of knowledge when we do not know [16:43, 21:7], don’t we need to know who they are?!

Dear questioner, may Allaah give you better! – Know that Allaah has established a very high status for the scholars of Islaam in his Glorious Book, saying: Continue reading →

Q&A on Potential Dangers Found in Many Accounting Jobs

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A Muslim concerned about his income asks:

I am an accountant that presents the financial statements of my organization to my employers. The banks pays interests (riba) on the company’s funds (the company is involved in halal business) saved with the banks and in the periodic statements they (the bank) send to us (accountant and my employers) they show clearly the analysis of the transaction my organisation has done with them over the period.

In the normal accounting profession, we are supposed to report this interest (riba) as well as all other transactions in the financial statements to the company, and the financial statements will not be complete unless they are shown, and thus Continue reading →

Shaykh Ibn Baaz on the Kufr (Apostasy) of Illusionary Magicians

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In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful…

The great scholar, the late Muftee of Saudi Arabia and head of their permanent council of scholars, Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (d.1420, may Allaah have Mercy on him), commented on a seminar about magicians and religious swindlers held in 1415.  After acknowledging the accuracy of their speeches on the topics of witchcraft, the practice of sorcery and its reality, and other topics, the shaykh noted that they had not discussed illusionary magic, and felt the need to add the following clarification:

Their magic could also be illusionary, and the shaykhs did not discuss illusionary magic.  Allaah has clearly mentioned that they could also perform illusionary tricks on people, as He, the Glorious and Most High, said in Continue reading →

Firmly Grounded Scholars that Muslims Should Return to in Affairs of Differing

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

At the conclusion of one of his lectures explaining the Foundations of Eemaan as part of the Imaam Daar al-Hijrah Islaamic Seminar at Masjid al-Qiblatayn in al-Madeenah in 1432 [1], Shaykh Saalih As-Suhaymee (may Allaah preserve him) advised the students with a number of excellent points of advice in light of issues of differing that tend to distract them and keep them from benefitting from their studies.

While this great advice has been translated into English, and given the title, “The Muslims are Tired,” perhaps the most important point in the lecture that Shaykh Saalih offered, after fearing Allaah and being sincere to Him alone, is the solution he guided the Muslims to – Returning to the senior scholars in affairs of differing. Continue reading →