Tag Archives: gaps in prayer rows

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

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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 →

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 →