Mufti Menk – Praying Salaah Online

			Assalamu Aleikum my brothers and sisters, some of you are asking me for my opinion on following the
Imam online on the television or on the internet or a device such as a receiver, the radio etc. In
Salah, I want to let you know that there are several opinions in this regard the majority of llama
across the globe have still said that it is best not to follow the Imams through the television or
through the internet or through the radio and so on. And there is another opinion and we respect all
opinions. But the reason why I am also one of those who holds the opinion that if you cannot make
Salah with Amara in the masjid, then do your Salah with Gemma in the home. And if you cannot do the
		

			Salah with Gemma in your home, because you don't have the number, or you don't have anyone to do it
with then read it alone in the home. So these are the different categories shown to us by the
Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam. Now if you look at for example, following a television, number
one, there is a delay, sometimes the delay can be up to 20 seconds depending on where you're living,
how fast the speed is, and many other factors, even the weather, and depending on what device or
operators you're listening to. So the Imam would already have finished his, for example, record and
you're still busy standing because you can still hear him reading the surah for example. So there is
		

			a delay, sometimes the delay is smaller. Sometimes it's a very short delay, but still the so forth
or the lines that are meant to be filled or not being filled. One might argue that okay, maybe we
might want to waive that I believe that you only waive it when it's absolutely necessary. And you
are the most on lease of that particular mistake. You know when you go to a Masjid al Haram in
Makkah, Tomoko Rama, and they leave a few gaps and some of them are reading a bit further back
sometimes even within a building at the times of Hajj and so on. Because of that being massive,
you're still following the same Masjid right in front of you. And it is there in front of you and
		

			you're not in front of the Imam in terms of Qibla and you're following him. And and it is there. You
know, it's not another Masjid somewhere else and you are at the masjid. It's just that there is a
large number and that's the reason. So if you are going to follow it from a distance, I've already
given you two things. Number one is a delay. Number two is the issue of the so forth. Number three
is something interesting. Do you know where the Qibla is? So the Imam has to always be among an
Imam, Imam, the Imam is in the front. The Imam has to stand at the front right? So when you are
following him from somewhere in your suburb or somewhere in another city, and I was asked this by
		

			people who were following an Imam in a totally different city, the problem is that Imam you may be
1000 kilometers in front of them. And the Kibler is further away from him so that your Imam is
behind you. 1000 kilometers. I mean, what Salah is that which which Hadith of the prophets of Salaam
would allow you to have an Imam 1000 Kay's behind you, you know, so rather than that, and like I
say, this is a discussion that is open, this is my opinion, and I'm not belittling other opinions,
but I'm letting you know why I am saying if you cannot do it one way according to the sooner do it
another way according to the same sooner and do it a third way according to the same sooner like
		

			when the professor solemn says if you cannot fulfill your Salah standing you can do so sitting if
you cannot do it sitting then do so lying down. So when he said that, some people are thinking that
well if I cannot do my Salah standing because my legs are painting, why don't I just hang on the
ceiling and do it so my legs don't pain? Well I tell you what hanging may be a solution in your
mind. But it's not one of the three things suggested in the Hadith. So best you stay away if you
cannot stand just sit don't hang. So what I'm saying if you cannot join the Jamaat, in the masjid,
do your Jama outside of the masjid somewhere else inshallah don't hang you get what I mean. Another
		

			reason is sometimes there is an interruption. The interruption means, you know, you might have good
internet, you might have good television connection, whatever else because of weather because of any
other reason. We spoke about delay, but this is not delay. This is an interruption. You could have
for example, something that you didn't hear how many times when I am speaking to you, for example,
you cannot hear one or two words of mine because they're cut cut by what? muffled by the internet or
because of the interruption in internet. It is cut. So that interruption the mom said something
Allahu Allah Mohammed, you didn't hear it. And suddenly you just hear a lot about what to do. I
		

			don't know. It's radio. I'm confused. You spoilt your whole Salah it's gonna happen everywhere. The
first world countries might think well, it won't happen with us.
		

			It will and it can and it does. And it has, and with us in the third world Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's so
difficult to even have a live show simply because words are eaten and it's interrupted and how
irritating is that? Imagine when you're listening to tarawih and you hear, read bawley What did you
hear that movie Aladdin was eaten, I'd rather have someone in front of me, fulfilling the Salah in a
proper way than to follow someone far off, and I've got so many things that are possibly wrong with
that. So panela so that is a total interruption in our countries we have what's known as a power
cut. So suddenly, if you were allowed to follow someone far far off, you suddenly have a power cut,
		

			what happens you don't know confusion, Salah, then you're gonna have to resort anyway to that Salah
with Gemma in your home. So these are some of the reasons and like I say, we in the oma have been
taught certain things. I've only told you what has just come to my mind. So I prefer my brothers and
sisters, benefit from the online lectures benefit from online recitations, you should listen to the
prayers how we are listened to Makkah and Medina all the time and so on. But I would advise you not
to follow online a Masjid that is, you know, a fire of Masjid, etc, for many, many reasons.
Sometimes. Like I said, another reason comes to my mind right now. It's not even in the right time
		

			zone sometimes, where people in New York are following someone from San Francisco for example, come
on there Salah hasn't even entered the time and look what's happening.
		

			They're already following the Imam. So there is a lot that would actually go wrong. And the last
point I want to raise is the day that we are no longer going to have this issue and inshallah that's
very soon I hope people will become so used to doing this online prayer that they will just turn on
the TV turn and say hey guys, I don't need to go anymore. And you know, I'm just wow, this was so
good. So convenient and then what will happen, then the machines will really be empty for no reason.
At the moment. There is a reason what the reason is Coronavirus and so on. But May Allah subhanahu
wa taala safeguard us, I just want to reiterate and repeat. I'm not a person to shoot down opinions,
		

			or people who hold other opinions. They are my brothers. I love them with the full love that I'm
supposed to be giving them and beyond. But at the same time, it's just my humble opinion not to join
the prayers you benefit from everything. I will listen to the Quran and the lectures and whatever,
but my prayers I will do in my own jamaa at home. If I cannot go to the masjid and the day I can I
will race to the masjid and be there inshallah before time to make up for lost time. I hope these
few words have benefited you in preparation for the month of Ramadan. Like I said, it is an opinion
there are some scholars who do hold the opinion of permissibility even though they have many
		

			conditions, so be careful to just turn on the TV and start following because even those who say it's
permissible they've got a lot of conditions. Find out some of those conditions are so difficult to
tick off. Be careful Jazakallah head May Allah forgive us all Allah, Allah Allah Allahu wa salam o
Baraka and Amina Mohammed Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.