New Fatwa : Is It Permissible to Avoid Congregational Prayers Due To CORONA Virus???
✍️AMJA Resident Fatwa Committee (USA)
It is Not permissible to suspend the congregational prayers and Friday prayer over coronavirus unless the local public health authorities advise the suspension of services at the houses of worship and avoidance of large public gatherings
People with symptoms of the disease should avoid coming to the mosques if they suspect that they may be infected until they check with their healthcare providers and ensure they are not.
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA)
Ruling on attending Jumu‘ah prayer and prayers in congregation in the event of an epidemic or fear of an epidemic
✍️ The Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
🔹Question
What is the ruling on not attending Friday (Jumu‘ah) prayer or prayers in congregation in the event of an epidemic or fear of an epidemic?
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
The Council of Senior Scholars on Friday prayer and prayers in congregation, and the spread of COVID-19
The Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued its statement no. 246 on 16/7/1441 AH,(March-12-2020) the text of which is as follows:
All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all of his family and companions.
To proceed:
The Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in their twenty-fourth extraordinary meeting, which was held in the city of Riyadh on Wednesday 16/7/1441 AH, examined the questions that were presented to them regarding the concession of not attending Friday (Jumu‘ah) prayer and congregational prayers in the event of an epidemic or fear of an epidemic. After studying the issue in the light of the Islamic texts and the objectives and guidelines of sharia, and in the light of statements of the people of knowledge regarding issues of this nature, the Council of Senior Scholars has issued the following statement:
-1-
It is prohibited for a person infected with this virus to attend Friday prayers and prayers in congregation, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Sick (camels) should not be put with healthy (camels).” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim], and because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “If you hear of the outbreak of a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it breaks out in a land in which you are, do not leave it.” [al-Bukhaari and Muslim].
-2-
If a specialized body determines that medical quarantine or isolation is to be imposed on someone, it is obligatory for him to comply with that, and to not attend Friday prayers or prayers in congregation. Therefore he should offer the prayers at home or in the place where he is quarantined. This is because of the report narrated by as-Shareed ibn Suwayd ath-Thaqafi, who said, “Among the delegation from Thaqeef there was a man with leprosy. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to him, saying, ‘We have accepted your oath of allegiance, so go back.'” [Narrated by Muslim}
-3-
If anyone fears that he may be harmed or may harm others, it is permissible for him to not attend the Friday prayer and prayers in congregation, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.” [Narrated by Ibn Majah].
In all these cases, if he does not attend Friday prayer, he must pray Dhuhr with four rak‘ahs.
The Council of Senior Scholars advises everyone to follow the instructions, guidelines and protocols issued by specialized bodies.
They also advise everyone to fear Allah, the Most Mighty and Exalted, and to turn to Him in supplication and humility, and to ask Him to grant relief from this tribulation.
Allah, may He be exalted, says:
“And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [Yoonus 10:107]
“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’” [Ghaafir 40:60].
May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
End quote from https://www.spa.gov.sa/2047028
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) has issued the following statement:
All praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.
To proceed:
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) received several inquiries regarding the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the proper response by masjids and individual Muslims. In response, AMJA issued the following statement in response to these inquiries:
Firstly: concerning the administrations of masjids and Islamic centers
It is not permissible for the administrations of masjids and Islamic centers to suspend Friday prayers and prayers in congregation because of the occurrence of cases of coronavirus in the United States, unless the local public health authorities in a particular city issue instructions to close houses of worship and ban large public gatherings. In the event of such a development, the administrations (of masjids and Islamic centers) should comply with such instructions. This would make it permissible to pray Jumu‘ah at home as dhuhr, until the restriction is lifted.
It is permissible for the administrations of masjids and Islamic centers to require those with flu symptoms to wear medical facemasks during Friday prayer and prayers in congregation. It is also permissible to allocate a room for them where they can pray separate from other worshippers, or allocate to them a designated area in the prayer hall, and to give them instructions not to shake hands with the other worshippers, and to follow the medical guidelines that have to do with preventing the spread of the disease.
The administrations of masjids should follow the updates that are periodically issued by local public health agencies, such as CDC, and comply with their instructions.
Secondly: concerning the Muslim public
With regard to ordinary Muslims and whether it is permissible for them to miss Friday prayers and prayers in congregation out of fear of disease, that depends on a number of variables. As for the five daily prayers, the matter is more lenient, since offering them in congregation is not obligatory according to the majority of scholars. The majority of those scholars who regard offering the five daily prayers in congregation as obligatory did not stipulate that those prayers be offered in the masjid. As for Friday prayer, it is not permissible for accountable adult men to miss it except in the case of real – not imagined – fear. What matters with regard to ordinary Muslims is to follow the instructions of the public health authorities. Once they advise avoidance of all public gatherings, then the risk of disease has reached such a level that there is a valid reason for missing Friday prayer. As for higher-risk groups, such as the elderly and those with chronic diseases, they should follow the advice of their doctors. They are more entitled to concessions than others.
People with symptoms of the disease (which resemble those of flu) should avoid coming to the masjids if they suspect that they may be infected, until they check with their healthcare providers and verify that they are free of infection. This is because the harm of spreading this virus – if they are indeed carriers of it – is much greater than that of bothering the people with the odor of garlic; and the Prophet (pbuh) said, “He who eats of this plant (garlic) should not come near our masjid and should not bother us with the odor of garlic.”
We ask Allah for safety and wellbeing for ourselves and all people.
AMJA Resident Fatwa Committee
https://www.amjaonline.org/declaration-articles/amja-declaration-on-corona-virus
Source: Islam Q&A : https://islamqa.info/en/answers/333514/ruling-on-attending-jumuah-prayer-and-prayers-in-congregation-in-the-event-of-an-epidemic-or-fear-of-an-epidemic
Note : Regarding For People of India Untill Unless If The State Health Authorities or Muslim Board or State Government Din’t Announced Then No Need To avoid Salah In Jamah. If They Announced Then You Can Pray In Home.
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