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

Be Quiet and Leave Issues of Coronavirus Precautions for the Muslim Authorities and Scholars (Again!)

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

The following is yet another question posed to Shaykh Dr. Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi (may Allah bless and preserve him) [1], on a topic which continues to confuse many innocent Muslims, due to the excessive amount of misinformation and conjecture spread on social media – the issue of Covid-19 and the correct stance the Muslims should take on it and the related precautions.

Once again, the reader will note that our senior scholars and their top students continue to offer sober and consistent advice about how Muslims are to return these important matters back to the scholars who are qualified to deal with matters of global safety and urgent concerns which affect the religion, health, and safety of millions of Muslims. May Allah allow this advice to reach receptive hearts.

The following is a transcript of the Arabic text of the question and its answer, along with an English translation:

حفظكم الله، يقول السائل: ما هو الموقف الصحيح من فيروس كورونا المستجد؟ يقال أنه ليس بأضر من الإنفلونزا الموسمية، وأن الإجراءات التي اتخذتها الدول مبالغ فيها، وأن التدابير الاحترازية من التباعد ولبس الكمامة لا تنفع. وبالتالي: فإن اللقاحات ضد هذا الفيروس في حقيقة الأمر، تضر الإنسان ويجب تجنبها. نود منكم الإفادة بارك الله فيكم.

QUESTION: May Allah preserve you. What is the correct stance on the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19)? It has been said that it is no more harmful than the [regular] seasonal flu, and that the procedures implemented by countries are beyond what is necessary, and that the safety protocols like distancing and wearing masks do not serve any benefit. Also [they say], vaccinations against this virus are actually harmful to people and must be avoided. We would like you to benefit us [on this topic], may Allah bless you.

الجواب: في الحقيقة ليت هؤلاء يسكتون ويتركون الأمور لولاة الأمر وللعلماء، فإن هؤلاء قد شوشوا، قد مرت سنة كاملة ومات مئات آلاف، وأصيب من أصيب، وتألم من تألم، وحصل ما حصل من الأمراض لأناس أمام أعيننا، ونراهم يمرضون ويموتون، ثم فهؤلاء يقولون هذه مبالغة وهذا كذا وكذا، فليت هؤلاء يسكتون، ويتركون الأمر لولاة الأمر وللعلماء الذين قد أفتوا. ما دام أن العلماء قد أفتوا، ولا يفتي العلماء إلا بعد أن يتصوروا المسألة ويقرأون فيها وينظرون فيها، وهذا هو ظننا بعلمائنا. فإن كان العلماء قد أفتوا فلا تتدخل فيما لا يعنيك وفيما لا تحسنه. اترك الأمر للعلماء.

ANSWER by Shaykh Dr. Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi (may Allah bless and preserve him): In realty, we wish these people would be quiet and 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]

Do not Listen to Those Warning Against the Vaccine; Returning to the Truth is Better than Persisting in Harm and Falsehood

2021-09-03-md-ghaalib-imptce-of-vaccines-emphasized-again

Shaykh Dr. Mohammad bin Ghalib al-Omari (may Allah preserve him) said:

أثبتت التجارب، ودل الواقع، وأيد ذلك توصيات المراكز الطبية، ثم القرارات الصادرة ثانيا، ثم وصايا العلماء بل ومبادرتهم، إلى أهمية أخذ التطعيم ضد الوباء، فلا ينبغي الإصغاء إلى أصوات تنادي بخلاف ذلك، مما أثبت الواقع بطلانها.

ونقول: الرجوع إلى الحقّ خير من التمادي في الضرر والباطل.

Experience (real-life interactions) has validated, and reality has proven, and further it is supported by the directives of the health centers, and then by governmental decisions secondly, and then by the advices of the scholars and even their own [personal] initiatives, [all of this demonstrates] the importance of taking the vaccine against the disease (Covid-19). So it is not appropriate to listen to voices which call to the opposite of that (i.e. those who warn against the vaccine), from that which reality has confirmed to be falsehood.

And so we say: Returning to the truth is better than persisting in harm and falsehood.

SOURCE: The shaykh’s official Twitter account (Arabic).

Translation: Moosaa Richardson

FURTHER RESOURCES ON THE TOPIC:

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

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]

One Who Cannot Wear a Mask During the Covid-19 Pandemic is Excused from Congregational Prayers

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

The following is a question posed to Shaykh Dr. Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi (may Allah bless and preserve him) on Friday night, the 19th of al-Muharram, 1443 (August 27, 2021):

May Allah treat you well, noble shaykh, this questioner says: Does not wearing a mask due to health reasons make it permissible to leave off the Jumu’ah and congregational prayers in the masjid, since these conditions have been stipulated by the Corona Committee in our land, and may Allah reward you with good?

The shaykh’s answer: Continue reading

The Ruling on Forging Vaccination Records in Order to Avoid the Vaccine

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

The following is a question posed to Shaykh Dr. Arafat bin Hassan al-Muhammadi (may Allah bless and preserve him) [1], on a topic which many genuinely confused Muslims may be considering due to the heavy amount of misinformation spread on social media. The reader will note that our senior scholars and their top students continue to offer sober and consistent advice about how Muslims are to return these important matters back to the scholars who are qualified to deal with matters of global safety and urgent concerns which affect the religion, health, and safety of millions of Muslims. May Allah allow this advice to reach receptive hearts.

QUESTION: May Allah be kind to you, dear virtuous shaykh, there is a questioner from France who asks: Our shaykh -may Allah bless you-, the French government has passed a law that requires vaccinations against Coronavirus for many segments of the population. Restrictions will prevent people from entering many public places, traveling, and other things, unless a person can show medical records which confirm that he, the bearer of the records, is fully vaccinated. Due to what people share from some news sources and social media outlets regarding these vaccinations, that they are potentially harmful to one’s health, or that they are a worldwide conspiracy to wipe out mankind, some people are considering ways to avoid this vaccination, like paying money to someone who would provide him with forged documents, or conspiring with a doctor to lie and say that he is fully vaccinated.

So the question then, our shaykh -may Allah bless you- is: What is the ruling on doing this? And we would like you to direct some advice to Continue reading

Regarding Those Who Insist that Coronavirus and Vaccination is a Conspiracy

md-ghaalib-corona-conspiracy

Shaykh Dr. Mohammad bin Ghalib al-Omari (may Allah preserve him) said:

Insisting upon saying that coronavirus is a conspiracy, scheme, or even a lie (!!), and that vaccination is a deceit and deception, leads towards having ill thoughts about rulers, contradicting scholars, and neglecting that which is evidenced by reality, along with what this speech has of evil effects upon people’s lives. And so, this speech is not acceptable, neither religiously, nor intellectually, nor out of habit, and nor by looking at reality.

SOURCE: The shaykh’s official Twitter account (Arabic/English).

Translation by: The shaykh’s designated translator(s).

Continuing to Maintain Safety Protocols to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus

By the leading authority among the senior scholars of Saudi Arabia: The Mufti, Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him)

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all things. May Allah raise the rank of and grant peace to our Prophet Muhammad, and likewise all of his family and companions. As for what follows:

The Muslim continues to worship and perform good deeds which benefit himself, his family, and his Ummah. By way of that, he becomes capable of caring for the entire world. Indeed the Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) praised the strong believer, saying:

(( الـمُؤْمِنُ القَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَـى اللهِ مِنَ الـمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِـي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ ))
“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both.”
[1]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) meant by this: One who is strong in his eemaan (faith) in Allah, the Exalted, and in his creed, his soul, and his physical body.

So good health is a tremendous blessing, and the Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) stressed its importance, saying:

(( نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيْـرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ: الصِّحَّةُ وَالفَرَاغُ ))
“Two blessings are neglected by many of the people: good health and free time.” [2]

So the body’s good health is a great blessing not fully understood except by those who have lost it. Thus, it is imperative that a person be keen to preserve his health and stay away from whatever would corrupt or harm it from diseases, contagions, and symptoms.

Islaam has instituted Continue reading

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

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

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

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

From Moosaa at-Taweel al-Amreekee to the Grand Mufti, the virtuous Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh: As-Salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. As for what follows:

In these days -the days of the Coronavirus Pandemic- Allah has indeed blessed us with good leadership, governmental leaders and scholars who love the Muslims, and the Muslims love them. They lead the people to safety and well-being, by the Permission of their Lord. Their cooperation in establishing safety protocols in the land of Tawheed, the land of the two sacred and honored mosques, the respected Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -may Allah protect it from every evil- is an exemplary thing, a role model for the entire world, and the praise is for Allah. People of all different religions and various languages notice this, so may Allah compensate you for your hard work and reward you with the best reward for what you do for your Ummah!

A matter that causes fear has indeed come to us, a very serious matter, and [about it] the people have differed in their views. And our Lord, the All-Knowing, the Ever Informed, has indeed guided us to what is befitting for us in these types of issues, with His Statement [which means]:

And when there comes to them a matter of safety or fear, they spread it openly. Yet had they only referred it back to the Messenger and those in authority among them, those of them capable of extracting its ruling would have done so. [4:83]

So in order to implement this Noble Verse, and with due concern for unity, I present some important questions. I do believe that your answers to them will –by Allah’s Permission- save your children of Ahlus-Sunnah in foreign lands from the differing that has befallen them, as you hold a position of trust with everyone. It is from Allah that I hope that we could benefit from your noble instructions.

The First Question: How do we know exactly what the nawaazil (pending issues in need of verdicts) are, those which must be deferred to the senior scholars Continue reading