Yasir Qadhi – Ask Shaykh YQ #62

			In light of the announcement that a number of massages across the country will be opening. Firstly,
what if an individual does not feel comfortable because of that individual circumstances? Or because
of the inadequacy of the situation that conditions? Are they still obliged to go pray in the masjid?
And secondly, what is the ruling on the congregational prayers with social distancing given that the
rows do not seem connected? So that will be our first overall question.
		

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			know, he him first.
		

			So realize, dear brothers and sisters, that the praying of the five prayers, the fourth prayers in
the massage, the default position within the four schools of Islamic law is that it is strongly
encouraged, and that communities should make sure that there's something going on but it is not
obligatory on individuals. Now there isn't a position that says that it is obligatory on
individuals, if they live close to the masjid, then that position is a good one, it's there, but the
default and the majority is that the individual salaat, the daily Salawat can be prayed anywhere.
And so it is not an individual obligation for the iron for the person to go to the masjid and that
		

			is the vast majority of scholars from our Islamic history. The real issue is not the individual
Salawat The real issue is Juju masala, the Friday prayer, because as we are all aware, the Friday
prayer it is the default position is that it is obligatory upon adult Muslim males if they are able
to come and pray now that the communities are opening or some communities are opening, the question
arises that should individuals who are worried about their individual circumstances come and pray?
And the response is that really this is a two part question or a two to party question or two part.
And that is that every single person needs to look at first and foremost himself or herself. And
		

			then the community that they're a part of and the precautions that are being taken and the area and
the locality that they're living in. This is not a specific answer that I can give to all of the
Muslims across America much less across the globe. Rather, it is case by case individuals need to
assess both their own situation and the situation of the land and the ambience of the masjid that
they are wishing to pray in and take into account all of these factors. And then based upon that
take a judicious position, let me state that the default is that if number one their health is
overall, you know, they're healthy, there's no symptoms and they're over the age group because
		

			again, the age does play a role here, all governmental agencies, the World Health Organization is
saying that those that are above the age of 65 or even, you know, 60 somewhere say they represent a
much higher risk and so, obviously, if you're in that age group above 65 or you have other
conditions underlying conditions and you need to take precautions, in this case, then inshallah tada
no matter what the situation is outside of the house, if you yourself are socially distancing
yourself and isolating yourself for medical reasons as it is then inshallah tada you are not obliged
to go for Joomla if you have an underlying condition or you are very senior in your age, and
		

			therefore the problems are compounded for your particular demographics, then definitely Joomla is
not obligatory. However, if you are have, you know, regular basically health and sound health and
the community that you're living in, and the land that you live in the alert level has gone down
slightly, which is what is happening across the globe after our social distancing. And your must do
this taking reasonable precautions, then indeed, the default would be that Joomla does become
obligatory as it was before the before the coronavirus lockdown did take place. And so if you do fit
all of these conditions, then the general ruling is that you should go now if any of these
		

			conditions is not met, you individually are not ever healthy demographics or your land, your city is
still in the high risk zone or your Masjid is not taking reasonable precautions and there's only one
master than the city and that Masjid is really not understanding what is going on and you are aware
that the situation is not, you know, reasonable at this time to do what the machine is doing. You do
have in this case, a legitimate excuse but remember, you have to answer to all on the Day of
Judgment. I cannot, you know specifically tell you you have to think about your own situation and
make an educated guess all I'm telling you is giving you the overall tools that if you feel that
		

			there is a legitimate fear because again, the shediac does take into account legitimate fear, it
does not take into account that which is a typical that
		

			Which is not going to be realistic what is called the preponderance of the of the circumstances of
vulnerable children if you think that there is a reasonable doubt that you might possibly fall sick
or the the environment is not, you know, conducive for that then inshallah tada you have the Islamic
permissibility to not attend Juma and you will then pray vote in your house. However, generally
speaking, and we're here in the state of Texas, as you know, in Dallas, in particular, our own mestu
East Plano will be opening up in Charlotte this week. And we will be taking reasonable precaution,
social distancing, shortening the Juma prayer timings, there's not no no intermingling of the most
		

			saline, everybody will prank six feet apart, and so many other protocols that we're taking into
account, people bring their own individual prayer rugs, they're going to be wearing masks. So with
all of these precautions in place, and if you are of a healthy demographics in this vicinity, my
position would be that it is obligatory for you to now come back for Joomla. Now that the situation
has indeed changed. And with regards to the other part of the question, which is the rows being
separated, realize that leaving gaps in the prayer rows, it is definitely something that is not
encouraged, the sooner as a Prophet salallahu alaihe salam would when he would stand up to pray, he
		

			would, first thing he would do was to straighten the rows and to try to minimize the gaps between
the mousseline between those that are praying. And this is something that is expertly narrated in
many, many traditions. In fact, our Prophet sallallahu I said would literally walk between the rows,
making sure there were no lines on the ground, making sure that they were straight and making sure
that there was minimal gap and he would tell the people as well that come closer together Takara
will come closer together to solve foo and don't leave you know, open to men too much open spots. So
that is definitely the sun. However, none of the format have said that it is obligatory, it is
		

			sunny, it is encouraged and if for a particular reason. If a person in regular season, not in the
Coronavirus lockdown. If a person were to pray a little bit separate from the the prayer the the
default position in the majority of the schools of law would be that his prayer is valid. And it is
correct in this is when there's no excuse shiftless and even Samia. He was asked about a lady who
came to the gym and she did not find any other lady so she stood all by herself, and she made a line
all by herself. And she prayed in that regard. And he replied and I'm paraphrasing here, that it is
known that an obligation can be dropped at times of need. So how much more so when having continuous
		

			Rose is not even an obligation of course, it can be dropped, and he says that women are solian
kuliah T and then marusan who Fisher Fisher ASAP Cthulhu jubi wondermill para la bella ma Seaton
udon Phantom uwgb la casa del Maya is one who that basically that whatever a person is not capable
of doing Allah subhanho wa Taala will not call him to task and it will fall for him if it is
obligatory. So he said how much more so and he actually explicitly says that when it is not
obligatory to have continuous rows. And this is a been Tamia, you can look at the volume 20 and page
559 it is much more fatawa This is a bit Tamia talking about regular situations and scenarios, how
		

			much more so when we actually have this plague and this virus taking place. And that is why even in
the domain Mecca and Medina and even across the massagin in many Muslim countries, the first words
have come from senior scholars across the world. In fact, there are too many to mention, if you just
you know, look it up and you know what is going on. And perhaps one of the most senior wasn't sure
what to do. He gave an explicit first one disregard that, of course, in this situation, such as
Salah is completely acceptable, and it will constitute a Gema. Even though there's a few feet
between it will constitute a Gema. Now somebody asked about is there an issue of precedents? Can you
		

			quote me, any of the classical scholars of Islam and the responses of Hannah law? No, I cannot quote
you, a classical scholar about Coronavirus and standing six feet apart. And again, dear brothers and
sisters from the beginning of this crisis, I've been hinting at this issue over and over again. And
let me just lay it out for you very explicitly, even though I've done this quite explicitly before.
What this situation is showing is also the different methodologies within the scholarly class of
Islam. And it is something that it should be I'm saying this with utmost respect to all of our
roadmaps, who have dedicated their lives to the Islamic sciences, but not all of our Ummah are of
		

			the same mindset or the same paradigm, or the same understanding of all the sciences of this world.
And there's a group of scholars who really and truly don't concern themselves with sciences outside
of their their own branches and May Allah bless them and reward them and there are others who
understand that these types of issues need to
		

			To be the fighter has to be in conjunction with and in cooperation with other specialists as well.
These are areas where mathies and earlimart cannot go unaided. They need the guidance of specialists
of doctors of those who study epidemics they need the spec, the the guidance that they are not
trained for in Islamic seminaries. And therefore, what we know now of plagues and epidemics and
viruses, it was not known even 100 years ago, this is the first time we can actually see with the
electron microscope. This is the first time we actually understand even when the Spanish influenza
blowout broke out 100 years ago, it's only been 100 years when the last major plague hit, the
		

			majority of mankind was clueless about what exactly is going on, and what is a virus and what not.
Now, our knowledge of science and of medicine has gone not leaps and bounds lightyears ahead. So
this is the question, are you going to listen to those Rama, who understand that we need to take
that knowledge into account and perhaps derive new fatawa in light of modern knowledge? Or will you
say all of that knowledge is irrelevant, and I must find the precedent. And again, we went over this
one went over the issue of closing the massage and other things. We did the right decision. And I
think in shallow doubt, let me see this explosively. I think the majority of you now that were
		

			somewhat critical, you now understand that was the right decision at the time now and hamdulillah.
We understand better and Alhamdulillah the curve has begun to flatten so we can cautiously
cautiously because the virus is still there, there is no cure. We can now Now that we understand the
threat because one of the things that happens in the last two months, the globe understood you know,
in this country alone, more than 120,000 people have died because of the Coronavirus I mean that is
unprecedented in the span of just a few weeks we've had this massive and and of course across the
globe. So the seriousness of now this virus and plague is understood. And when this whole issue
		

			began two months ago, many Muslims did not understand the seriousness now that we do and now that we
understand this is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. Now, I hope inshallah tada you
will listen to those aroma who understand that we also need the input of our medical experts and
those who understand what is going on together in sha Allah to Allah we can think about how to best
proceed forward and therefore I will not be able to find new precedent because our odema from the
previous generations did not understand the reality of plagues and the reality of contagion and the
reality of viruses. It is something that is all new. And so Alhamdulillah we have run Emma do
		

			understand this now and there are plenty of fatawa in this regard.