|
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His Cause and render our work for His Sake.
The purpose of all Islamic teachings is to bring happiness and remove harm from people’s lives. If Muslims will face real harm as a result of their gathering in mosques, then they can temporarily abandon congregational prayers in the mosque until the spread of the disease is ended. If the government has in fact decided to close mosques and other places of gathering — so that it is not a discrimination of Muslims — then the Muslims should comply with the order. The main criterion here is the people’s interest.
Responding to the question, Sheikh `Abdus-Sattaar Fathallah As-Sa`eed, Professor of the Exegesis of the Qur'an at Al-Azhar University, states the following:
"Originally, when an epidemic disease like the plague or any other contagious disease spreads in a certain area, people living in the afflicted country or area should not exit it and the people outside it should not enter it, in order to prevent the spread of the disease. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, ‘If you hear about an outbreak of plague in a land, do not go to it; but if such a plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.’ He is also reported to have said, ‘Do not let ill camels mix with healthy ones.’
This is the fundamental concept of quarantine in the whole world that was stated by Allah’s Messenger hundreds of years ago.
herefore, if the current outbreak of SARS is contagious in gatherings (any kind of gathering whether in mosques or elsewhere), such gatherings should be prohibited so as to prevent the spread of the disease among people.
Here, we should keep in mind that in such gatherings people are liable to catch the virus, and hence gathering should be banned so as to serve their interests.
Added to the above, I can say that one of the conditions for performing congregational prayers as well as the jum`ah is to have established security in the country where Muslims live. Thus, the if the Chinese government has really issued such a decision considering people’s interests without any sense of repression or discrimination against Muslims, then Muslims can temporarily forsake performing congregational prayers and the jum`ah in mosques until the disease comes to an end and Muslims feel safe when they gather to perform congregational prayers.
Again, the main criterion here is people’s interests irrespective of whether the Chinese government applies the teachings of Islam or not."
You can also read:
Escaping SARS by Leaving the Infected Area
Ask Cremating the SARS Victims?
`Umrah & the Spread of SARS
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to write back!
May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.
|
 |
