Most people do not know about this ruling and so I've posted this to remind them how serious talking during the Khutbah (Friday sermon) is.
Q) I go to Jumu’ah prayer, but every time I enter the prayer-hall of the mosque, I say salaams and the other worshippers return the greeting, even those who are reading Qur’aan. When the khutbah has begun, some worshippers come in and say salaams, and the imam return the greeting in a low voice. Is this permissible?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Those who attend Jumu’ah prayer should be quiet and listen attentively to the imam when he is preaching. It is not permissible to speak to others, even if that is to tell them to be quiet. Whoever does that has engaged in idle talk (laghw), and whoever engages in idle talk, his Jumu’ah prayer does not count.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you say to your companion when the imam is preaching on Friday, ‘Be quiet and listen,’ you have engaged in idle talk.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 892; Muslim, 851).
This prohibition also applies to responding to a question about Islam, let alone any other kind of speech that has to do with worldly matters.
It was narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat on the minbar and addressed the people, and he recited a verse. Ubayy ibn Ka’b was next to me, so I said to him: “O Ubayy, when was this verse revealed?” But he refused to speak to me, so I asked him again and he refused to speak to me, until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came down (from the minbar). Then Ubayy said to me: “You have gained nothing from your Jumu’ah except idle talk.” When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished (the prayer), I went to him and told him (what had happened). He said: “Ubayy was right. When you hear your imam speaking, then keep quiet and listen attentively until he has finished.” Narrated by Ahmad, 20780; Ibn Maajah, 1111; classed as saheeh by al-Busayri and al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Mannah, p. 338.
This indicates that it is obligatory to remain silent and listen attentively, and that it is forbidden to speak while the imam is delivering the khutbah on Friday.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Baarr said:
There is no dispute among the fuqaha’ of all regions that it is obligatory to remain silent and listen attentively to the khutbah, for those who hear it.
Al-Istidhkaar, 5/43.
Some of them held an odd opinion and said that it is not obligatory, but they have no evidence to support their view.
Ibn Rushd said, concerning the ruling on remaining silent and listening attentively to the khutbah:
With regard to those who do not regard it as obligatory, I do not know that they have any argument except that the suggestion that it is obligatory may seem to contradict the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent” [al-A’raaf 7:204] – i.e., that it is not obligatory to remain silent for anything except the Qur’aan. There is some weakness in this argument, and Allaah knows best. It is very likely that this hadeeth did not reach them.
Bidaayat al-Mujtahid, 1/389.
An exception is made from that in the case of speaking to the imam, or the imam speaking to the worshippers for some important reason.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The people were afflicted with a drought at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was delivering the khutbah one Friday, a Bedouin stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, our wealth has been destroyed and our children are starving. Pray to Allaah for us.” So he raised his hands [and made du’aa’]. And it rained that day and the next and the next and the next, until the following Friday, when that Bedouin – or he said, someone else – stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, our houses have been destroyed and our wealth drowned. Pray to Allaah for us.” So he raised his hands… Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 891; Muslim, 897.
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: A man came whilst the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was addressing the people on Friday, and he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] said: “Have you prayed, O So and so?” He said, “No.” He said: “Stand up and pray two rak’ahs.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 888; Muslim, 875.
Whoever quotes these hadeeth as evidence that it is permissible for worshippers to speak to one another and that it is not obligatory to remain silent, is not correct.
Ibn Qudaamah said:
What they quote as evidence may be understood as referring only to the one who speaks to the imam or to whom the imam speaks, because that does not distract anyone from listening to his khutbah. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, “Have you prayed?” and he replied; and ‘Umar asked ‘Uthmaan a question, when he came in whilst he was preaching, and he answered. Thus we should understand these reports in this manner, in order to reconcile the reports. It is not correct to draw an analogy with anything else, because when the imaam speaks, he interrupts his khutbah, so he is not talking to the other person during the khutbah as such, unlike when others speak during the khutbah.
Al-Mughni, 2/85
With regard to saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes or returning salaams whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, the scholars differed concerning that.
Al-Tirmidhi said in his Sunan, following the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, “If you say to your companion…”:
They differed concerning returning salaams and saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes. Some scholars granted a concession allowing returning salaams and saying Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah. This is the view of Ahmad and Ishaaq. But some of the scholars among the Taabi’een and others regarded that as makrooh. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/242):
It is not permissible to say Yarhamuk-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes or to return salaams whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, according to the correct scholarly opinion, because both of them involve speaking, which is forbidden when the imam is delivering the khutbah, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth.
It also says (8/243):
It is not permissible for the one who enters whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah on Friday, if he can hear the khutbah, to greet the people in the mosque, and those in the mosque should not return his greeting whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah.
And it says (8/244):
It is not permissible to speak whilst the khateeb is delivering the Friday sermon except for one who speaks to the imam for an important reason.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
It is haraam to give salaams during the Friday khutbah, so it is not permissible for one who enters the mosque whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah to give salaams, and it is also haraam to return the greeting.
Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/100
Shaykh al-Albaani said:
If someone says “Be quiet!”, this is not regarded as idle talk (laghw) from a linguistic point of view, because it comes under the heading of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. However the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called it laghw that is not permissible. This comes under the heading of giving precedence to what is more important (namely being silent and listening to the preaching of the khateeb) over what is important (namely enjoining what is good during the khutbah). As this is the case, everything that comes under the heading of enjoining what is good comes under the same ruling as enjoining what is good – so how about if it of less importance than that? Undoubtedly in that case it is more appropriate that it not be allowed and it comes under the heading of laghw (idle talk).
Al-Ajwabah al-Naafi’ah, p. 45
Conclusion:
Those who attend Jumu’ah prayers have to be silent and listen attentively to the imam. It is not permissible to speak whilst the imam is delivering the khutbah, except in the cases indicated by the evidence, such as speaking to the khateeb or responding to him, or in cases of necessity such as saving a blind man from falling and so on.
Greeting the imam with salaam or returning the greeting of one who comes in also come under this prohibition, because there is no concession allowing one to speak with the imam except in cases of need, which does not include giving or returning greetings.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 5/140:
It is not permissible for the imam to say anything that serves no purpose, rather it should be for a reason connected with the prayer or other suitable topics. But if the imam says something that serves no purpose, that is not permissible.
If there is a need, then it is permissible. For example, if a listener does not understand something that the khateeb says in his khutbah, or if the khateeb makes a mistake in reciting a verse that alters the meaning, or if he omits a phrase from a verse, and so on.
Other reasons in which the imam may speak for a purpose include problems with the loudspeakers, in which the imam may speak to the engineer and ask him to see what is wrong.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
I would like to tag the following sisters:
1) Farhana-sketched soul
2) Life of Hijabista
3) A Voice in the Clouds
4) Diary of A Muslim Girl
5) Chasing Jannah
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Problem of cell phones ringing in the mosque
The ringing of cell phones in the masjid and at the time of praying is another growing problem. The Imam of our masjid has repeatedly adviced the brothers on this. It's not only the ringing sound but some even have music which is very distracting. So I've posted this question here and I'd like to pin it at the masjid too.
Q) Cell phone while they are good but when people bring them to the mosque and do not turn them off, start ringing during the prayers. It is very anoying and distracting. Please provide an Islamic ruling on this matter.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Islam is keen that the Muslim’s prayer should be perfect in terms of focus and humility, far removed from anything that may distract a person from prayer. Among the things to which Islam pays attention in this regard are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when it was intensely hot. When one of us could not bear to press his face to the ground (because of the heat), he would spread his garment and prostrate on it.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1150; Muslim, 620).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:
The apparent meaning is that they did that in order to remove the distraction caused by the ground being too hot.
Fath al-Baari, 1/493
2 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed in a shirt on which there were designs, and when he finished praying he said, “Take this shirt of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me the inbijaaniyyah (a woollen garment that was plain, with no designs) of Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer.” Haashim ibn ‘Urwah narrated from his father from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I used to look at its designs whilst I was praying and I was afraid that it would distract me.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 366; Muslim, 556)
3 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the iqaamah for ‘Isha’ prayer is given and dinner is ready, then start with dinner.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5148; Muslim, 558)
al-Haafiz said:
al-Faakihaani said: This should be interpreted in general terms, applicable to any situation where there is a distraction that may lead to a person not being sufficiently humble and focused (in prayer).
Fath al-Baari, 2/160
4 – It was narrated that Abu Saalih al-Sammaan said: I saw Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri on a Friday, praying facing something that screened him from the people. A young man from among Bani Abi Mu’eet wanted to pass in front of him, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him in the chest. The young man looked and could not find any way to pass except in front of him, so he tried again, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him more strongly than the first time. The young man insulted Abu Sa’eed and entered upon Marwaan, and complained to him about what Abu Sa’eed had done to him. Abu Sa’eed came in behind him, and Marwaan said to him, “What is the matter with you and your brother’s son, O Abu Sa’eed?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If any one of you is praying facing something that is screening him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him push him back, and if he insists then let him fight him, for he is a devil.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 487; Muslim, 505)
Al-Zarqaani said: The phrase “for he is a devil” means that he is doing the actions of the Shaytaan, because he is insisting on disturbing someone who is praying.
(Sharh al-Zarqaani, 1/442).
5 – It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went into i’tikaaf (retreat) in the mosque, and he heard them reciting Qur’aan out loud. He drew back the curtain and said, “Each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices above one another when reading Qur’aan – or he said, when praying.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1332)
We should note in this last hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the people to distract one another from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He forbade people to distract others from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He did not like the prayer or Qur’aan-reading of one person to distract another person from his prayer.
In conclusion: Islam encourages focus and humility in prayer, and encourages us to persist in that. What we see of these mobile phones in the situation you mention is something that causes people to lose the proper focus and humility in prayer, because it is a disturbance that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer.
We advise our brothers who own these phones not to leave them switched on at the time of prayer, rather they should turn off the ringer.
Islam Q&A
Q) Cell phone while they are good but when people bring them to the mosque and do not turn them off, start ringing during the prayers. It is very anoying and distracting. Please provide an Islamic ruling on this matter.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Islam is keen that the Muslim’s prayer should be perfect in terms of focus and humility, far removed from anything that may distract a person from prayer. Among the things to which Islam pays attention in this regard are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pray with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when it was intensely hot. When one of us could not bear to press his face to the ground (because of the heat), he would spread his garment and prostrate on it.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1150; Muslim, 620).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:
The apparent meaning is that they did that in order to remove the distraction caused by the ground being too hot.
Fath al-Baari, 1/493
2 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed in a shirt on which there were designs, and when he finished praying he said, “Take this shirt of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me the inbijaaniyyah (a woollen garment that was plain, with no designs) of Abu Jahm, for it distracted me from my prayer.” Haashim ibn ‘Urwah narrated from his father from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I used to look at its designs whilst I was praying and I was afraid that it would distract me.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 366; Muslim, 556)
3 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the iqaamah for ‘Isha’ prayer is given and dinner is ready, then start with dinner.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5148; Muslim, 558)
al-Haafiz said:
al-Faakihaani said: This should be interpreted in general terms, applicable to any situation where there is a distraction that may lead to a person not being sufficiently humble and focused (in prayer).
Fath al-Baari, 2/160
4 – It was narrated that Abu Saalih al-Sammaan said: I saw Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri on a Friday, praying facing something that screened him from the people. A young man from among Bani Abi Mu’eet wanted to pass in front of him, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him in the chest. The young man looked and could not find any way to pass except in front of him, so he tried again, and Abu Sa’eed pushed him more strongly than the first time. The young man insulted Abu Sa’eed and entered upon Marwaan, and complained to him about what Abu Sa’eed had done to him. Abu Sa’eed came in behind him, and Marwaan said to him, “What is the matter with you and your brother’s son, O Abu Sa’eed?” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If any one of you is praying facing something that is screening him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let him push him back, and if he insists then let him fight him, for he is a devil.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 487; Muslim, 505)
Al-Zarqaani said: The phrase “for he is a devil” means that he is doing the actions of the Shaytaan, because he is insisting on disturbing someone who is praying.
(Sharh al-Zarqaani, 1/442).
5 – It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went into i’tikaaf (retreat) in the mosque, and he heard them reciting Qur’aan out loud. He drew back the curtain and said, “Each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices above one another when reading Qur’aan – or he said, when praying.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1332)
We should note in this last hadeeth that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the people to distract one another from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He forbade people to distract others from prayer by their prayer or Qur’aan-reading. He did not like the prayer or Qur’aan-reading of one person to distract another person from his prayer.
In conclusion: Islam encourages focus and humility in prayer, and encourages us to persist in that. What we see of these mobile phones in the situation you mention is something that causes people to lose the proper focus and humility in prayer, because it is a disturbance that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer.
We advise our brothers who own these phones not to leave them switched on at the time of prayer, rather they should turn off the ringer.
Islam Q&A
When In Masjid - Speaking about worldly matters in the mosque
I've been tagged by my sister-in-Islam A learning Muslimah for writing on this topic. The rules are :
1) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2) List 3 ahadith which you would like to pin up at the masjid and why.
3) Tag some of your blogger friends by linking to them and please let them know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Since this is a Question and Answer blogsite I'll not be able to stick to the 2nd rule, I'll have to expand by giving a detailed explanation for the benefit of all Insha Allah.
Chit-Chatting has become a common scenario in the masjids nowadays, even in the Haram, so I have chosen this question below.
Q) How should one behave, specially in a masjid, when the Adhaan is being called? Are we allowed to talk worldly affairs while it is being called? Are we allowed to excange "Salaam" (greetings) while it is being called?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak (4/359) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There will come a time when people will sit in circles in the mosques and they will have no concern except this world. Allaah has no need of them so do not sit with them.’” This is a saheeh hadeeth even though al-Bukhaari and Muslim did not narrate it. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Talkhees that it is saheeh.”
This hadeeth states that this blameworthy deed is disliked, because the mosques are not built for such a purpose. Allaah commanded that mosques should be built to remember Him and to conduct prayers and acts of worship and obedience to Him, such as I’tikaaf (retreat, seclusion for devotion and worship), and different kinds of dhikr such as circles for reciting Qur’aan and seeking knowledge.
On the other hand, there are ahaadeeth that command us to repeat the words of the adhaan after the muezzin, as a mustahabb or encouraged deed, and to set an example of how one should behave when hearing the adhaan. Some people neglect this, and do not realize how much reward they are missing out on and how much they are to blame for that. What sort of hearts must they have?! They hear the remembrance of Allaah then they turn away from Him, and it has no effect on their hearts so that they may fear Him and feel compelled to listen.
One of these ahaadeeth is that narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 384) from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When any one of you hears the muezzin, let him say something like he says, then send blessings on me, for whoever sends blessings on me, Allaah will send blessings tenfold on him. Then ask Allaah to grant me al-waseelah, for it is a status in Paradise that only one of Allaah’s slaves will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for al-waseelah for me, will be granted my intercession for him.”
As for giving the greeting of salaam and shaking hands, there is nothing wrong with this, for these are acts of obedience to Allaah. There is no conflict between doing these things and responding to the muezzin, because a person may do all of these things at once.
Muslims should beware of doing anything that may offend or disturb those who come to the mosque for worship. This includes disturbing those who are reading Qur’aan, praying or remembering Allaah in the mosque. It is an evil deed (sayi’ah) to disturb the people in the mosque by talking about worldly affairs, because this is offensive to them and distracts Muslims from doing acts of worship properly. Disturbing others is not allowed, even if it takes the form of reading Qur’aan, so how about if it takes other forms? Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb al-Nisaa'i reported in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/32) under the heading Dhikr Qawl al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) Laa yajhar ba’dukam ‘ala ba’din fi’l-Qur’aan (Mentioning the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), None of you should compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly), a report from Abu Haazim al-Timaar from al-Bayaadi, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and found the people praying and reciting in loud voices. He said: “The one who is praying is conversing with his Lord, so let him think about what he is saying to Him. Do not compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly.” Ibn Muhayreez (may Allaah have mercy on him) is reported to have said: “Speaking in the mosque is idle talk, except for one who is praying, or remembering his Lord, or asking for help or giving help.” (Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq, part 8, Baab Kalaam ‘Ikrimah). Ibn al-Haaj said, concerning the manners of the Muslim when he sets out for the mosque: “He should intend to avoid idle talk in the mosque or talking about that which does not concern him, for there is a report that says that speaking in the mosque about anything but the deeds of the Hereafter is like fire in dry wood, it eats up hasanaat (good deeds). So he should take care to avoid that, lest he goes out to engage in trade and comes back having lost everything because of his idle talk.” (al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Haaj, part 1, al-Sunnah fi’l-Mashiy ila’l-Masjid).
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
1) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2) List 3 ahadith which you would like to pin up at the masjid and why.
3) Tag some of your blogger friends by linking to them and please let them know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Since this is a Question and Answer blogsite I'll not be able to stick to the 2nd rule, I'll have to expand by giving a detailed explanation for the benefit of all Insha Allah.
Chit-Chatting has become a common scenario in the masjids nowadays, even in the Haram, so I have chosen this question below.
Q) How should one behave, specially in a masjid, when the Adhaan is being called? Are we allowed to talk worldly affairs while it is being called? Are we allowed to excange "Salaam" (greetings) while it is being called?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak (4/359) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There will come a time when people will sit in circles in the mosques and they will have no concern except this world. Allaah has no need of them so do not sit with them.’” This is a saheeh hadeeth even though al-Bukhaari and Muslim did not narrate it. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Talkhees that it is saheeh.”
This hadeeth states that this blameworthy deed is disliked, because the mosques are not built for such a purpose. Allaah commanded that mosques should be built to remember Him and to conduct prayers and acts of worship and obedience to Him, such as I’tikaaf (retreat, seclusion for devotion and worship), and different kinds of dhikr such as circles for reciting Qur’aan and seeking knowledge.
On the other hand, there are ahaadeeth that command us to repeat the words of the adhaan after the muezzin, as a mustahabb or encouraged deed, and to set an example of how one should behave when hearing the adhaan. Some people neglect this, and do not realize how much reward they are missing out on and how much they are to blame for that. What sort of hearts must they have?! They hear the remembrance of Allaah then they turn away from Him, and it has no effect on their hearts so that they may fear Him and feel compelled to listen.
One of these ahaadeeth is that narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 384) from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “When any one of you hears the muezzin, let him say something like he says, then send blessings on me, for whoever sends blessings on me, Allaah will send blessings tenfold on him. Then ask Allaah to grant me al-waseelah, for it is a status in Paradise that only one of Allaah’s slaves will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for al-waseelah for me, will be granted my intercession for him.”
As for giving the greeting of salaam and shaking hands, there is nothing wrong with this, for these are acts of obedience to Allaah. There is no conflict between doing these things and responding to the muezzin, because a person may do all of these things at once.
Muslims should beware of doing anything that may offend or disturb those who come to the mosque for worship. This includes disturbing those who are reading Qur’aan, praying or remembering Allaah in the mosque. It is an evil deed (sayi’ah) to disturb the people in the mosque by talking about worldly affairs, because this is offensive to them and distracts Muslims from doing acts of worship properly. Disturbing others is not allowed, even if it takes the form of reading Qur’aan, so how about if it takes other forms? Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb al-Nisaa'i reported in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/32) under the heading Dhikr Qawl al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) Laa yajhar ba’dukam ‘ala ba’din fi’l-Qur’aan (Mentioning the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), None of you should compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly), a report from Abu Haazim al-Timaar from al-Bayaadi, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and found the people praying and reciting in loud voices. He said: “The one who is praying is conversing with his Lord, so let him think about what he is saying to Him. Do not compete with one another in reciting Qur’aan loudly.” Ibn Muhayreez (may Allaah have mercy on him) is reported to have said: “Speaking in the mosque is idle talk, except for one who is praying, or remembering his Lord, or asking for help or giving help.” (Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq, part 8, Baab Kalaam ‘Ikrimah). Ibn al-Haaj said, concerning the manners of the Muslim when he sets out for the mosque: “He should intend to avoid idle talk in the mosque or talking about that which does not concern him, for there is a report that says that speaking in the mosque about anything but the deeds of the Hereafter is like fire in dry wood, it eats up hasanaat (good deeds). So he should take care to avoid that, lest he goes out to engage in trade and comes back having lost everything because of his idle talk.” (al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Haaj, part 1, al-Sunnah fi’l-Mashiy ila’l-Masjid).
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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