The Electronic Mihrab
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 16275 )
Q: Shall I send you a copy of the file regarding the electronic mihrab, which was previously presented to your Eminence by the Shaykh: Abdullah al-Bassam , and I hope your Eminence will issue a ruling on the permissibility of using this mihrab for one who wishes to increase in prayer, standing in night prayer, and tahajjud, without anxiety about the accuracy and sequence of the recitation of the Great Qur'an. We hope this will help the worshipper to feel at ease in his prayer and to submit completely in his humility before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that through the repetition of prayer and the abundance of recitation via this scientific means, he will become proficient in reading the various verses, surahs, and parts of the Noble Qur'an. The electronic mihrab is a mihrab made of luxurious wood, with a rectangular electronic screen in the center, the dimensions of which are like those of a book page after it has been enlarged. When activated, it allows one to browse the Noble Qur'an and stop at any page to have it displayed clearly and comfortably for the worshipper, who stands in the mihrab about two meters from the screen. Whenever the worshipper finishes reading the page in front of him, he presses with his right index finger a button on a
plastic bracelet he wears on his left wrist, and the page he has finished reading disappears; the next page appears. The worshipper can specify the part or surah with which he wants to begin his prayer and continue the recitation in sequence until he finishes his prayer without anxiety about the accuracy and sequence of the reading, which helps him, with Allah's permission, to be absorbed in his prayer with tranquility and humility. The mihrab is also equipped with electronic memory, allowing the worshipper to continue his prayer later from where he left off the previous time if he wishes. The first model of the (electronic mihrab) is the large type, which is expected to become common in use in congregational mosques and public and private mosques, and in some palaces, large houses, and homes where the owners may wish to dedicate a corner for prayer, and this corner is equipped with the (electronic mihrab).
A: The legal principle in acts of worship is to build them upon following the Sunnah and adhering to the path, and to embrace ease, simplicity, and moderation in worship, and to avoid affectation, strictness, and excessive depth or exaggeration in application. They are based on textual evidence and its source, so Allah is not worshipped except by what He has prescribed. This includes the Muslim performing the prayers in the prescribed manner that Muslims have inherited and which has been the practice of their Sunnah, which includes reciting the Great Qur'an, and a pillar of it is reciting al-Fatihah in every rak'ah. Muslims have inherited the memorization of this noble surah, even those among them who are illiterate,
And whoever is unable to do so turns to dhikr, for there is no obligation in the case of inability. The function of the Muslim in these obligatory and non-obligatory prayers is to be occupied with his prayer, to have his heart present, to be submissive and his limbs quiet, and to make du'a' before his Lord:[Al-Baqarah 2:238], and to gather his thoughts for humility and reflection on what he says. For this reason, Muslims have agreed on the prohibition of speaking in prayer, and they have agreed that continuous action without necessity invalidates it. Texts have come regarding the prohibition of excessive effort, and for this reason scholars have prohibited delving deeply into recitation, the articulation points of letters, qalqalah, imalah, idgham, and the like; because of the diversion of effort and its transformation into the struggle of that, and the distraction from the objectives of prayer and the presence of the heart for it. It is established in the two Sahihs from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 538a And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "shughlan" (occupation) is indefinite for the sake of magnification, meaning a great occupation; because prayer is a conversation with Allah the Exalted, which requires the servant to devote himself entirely to his Lord, so it is not suitable to be occupied with anything else in it. Thus, in prayer there is an occupation that prevents speech and other things that are prevented in prayer. And the habit of the Salaf (may Allah have mercy on them) was like this. Among that is from Mujahid who said: (When Ibn al-Zubayr would stand in prayer, he was like a stick) narrated by al-Bayhaqi with a sound chain.
If these legal preliminaries are known, then let it be known that there are several legal prohibitions in reading in prayer by means of this device (the electronic mihrab): entering prayer with a prior intention to operate the device through its stages, and distraction from the right of prayer by much action contrary to humility, missing some of the sunnahs, and increasing in effort that Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have not authorized, and a change in the form of the legal prayer. Its explanation in detail is as follows: The much action is from several aspects: occupying the hand repeatedly by pressing the device's (button) to operate it, and taking out the index, then taking out the surah or page, then pressing it to take out another page and to search for the surah one wants to read, and occupying the eye while standing by fixing the gaze and directing the look toward the screen and its movement, and contemplating the lines in it, and occupying the mind with this screen by occupation and watching and controlling it and monitoring the end of the page to press the (button) and what accompanies that of fear and the current stopping and the device malfunctioning, and so on of being absorbed in thinking and monitoring this device. So the imam or the worshipper is preoccupied with what is not a condition or a pillar, and he is not commanded to attain it, but it leads in the case of the worshipper to being heedless in
his prayer from directing his mind, heart, and limbs to attaining humility and the pleasure of conversation, and this is a diminishment of the rights of prayer. And if the cloth of the Khumayshah occupied the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his prayer until he replaced the Khumayshah with something else, how then is the case of other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and how is this device with its television screen, its button, its bracelet, its machines, and its accessories? And it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the prohibition of being occupied with what is less than that, such as his prohibition of the worshipper wiping his place of prostration. In the two Sahihs, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1207 And in them also is his prohibition (peace and blessings be upon him) of the worshipper from holding his clothes and hair in prayer, and being occupied with this is a sudden occupation of the limb. How then is this device in which the aspects of occupation are multiplied in sense and meaning? And in this device also is the missing of several established sunnahs, among which is the missing of the worshipper's looking at his place of prostration, and the missing of the quietness of
his limbs, and the missing of the presence of his mind and the emptying of his heart. And in it also is excessive strictness and effort in religion, and the texts of the Shari'ah prohibit that. From Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. So his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "then let him sit" is a command to leave what he intended of voluntary prayer if he felt tired, so he should not bring about contrived means. And so it is said here: Let the Muslim pray with what is easy of the Qur'an as Allah the Exalted commanded him in His saying: [Al-Muzzammil 73:20], and also, the consistent rule of acts of worship is to emphasize what Muslims have followed in their righteous predecessors from practical sunnahs, and to completely shun adding to what is prescribed, including not deviating from the form of prayer, which Muslims have inherited and their practical sunnah has proceeded with, supported by legal evidence, and deviating from their practice and their conduct
This leads to falling into worshipping Allah with what has not been legislated. In addition to these prohibitions, there are others, such as the distraction of a number of worshippers behind the imam by this moving screen in front of them. It also leads to turning people away from memorizing the Book of Allah the Exalted, and dampening their enthusiasm for this great virtue of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It makes prayer a venue for the inventions of those who seek worldly gain and materialistic ideas. It becomes a means for those with ulterior motives and aims to occupy the mihrabs of Muslims with one who performs the function of prayer, while setting aside those who possess the qualifications, such as being more knowledgeable and more scrupulous, and so on. It opens the door to frivolity in this great Islamic pillar and the manifest religious practice that is widespread, praise be to Allah, in the cities and countries of Muslims. It is a cause for converting it into other actions and innovations, and for dissolving its great effects on the souls of Muslims by reforming it, its connection to Allah, and its prohibition for its doer from committing sins and deviations. It is not permissible to argue for the permissibility of this mihrab by citing the permissibility of reading from the mushaf, due to the many differences between the two. Therefore, the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta issues a ruling prohibiting this device religiously and prohibiting its use in prayer. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Q: Shall I send you a copy of the file regarding the electronic mihrab, which was previously presented to your Eminence by the Shaykh: Abdullah al-Bassam , and I hope your Eminence will issue a ruling on the permissibility of using this mihrab for one who wishes to increase in prayer, standing in night prayer, and tahajjud, without anxiety about the accuracy and sequence of the recitation of the Great Qur'an. We hope this will help the worshipper to feel at ease in his prayer and to submit completely in his humility before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that through the repetition of prayer and the abundance of recitation via this scientific means, he will become proficient in reading the various verses, surahs, and parts of the Noble Qur'an. The electronic mihrab is a mihrab made of luxurious wood, with a rectangular electronic screen in the center, the dimensions of which are like those of a book page after it has been enlarged. When activated, it allows one to browse the Noble Qur'an and stop at any page to have it displayed clearly and comfortably for the worshipper, who stands in the mihrab about two meters from the screen. Whenever the worshipper finishes reading the page in front of him, he presses with his right index finger a button on a
plastic bracelet he wears on his left wrist, and the page he has finished reading disappears; the next page appears. The worshipper can specify the part or surah with which he wants to begin his prayer and continue the recitation in sequence until he finishes his prayer without anxiety about the accuracy and sequence of the reading, which helps him, with Allah's permission, to be absorbed in his prayer with tranquility and humility. The mihrab is also equipped with electronic memory, allowing the worshipper to continue his prayer later from where he left off the previous time if he wishes. The first model of the (electronic mihrab) is the large type, which is expected to become common in use in congregational mosques and public and private mosques, and in some palaces, large houses, and homes where the owners may wish to dedicate a corner for prayer, and this corner is equipped with the (electronic mihrab).
A: The legal principle in acts of worship is to build them upon following the Sunnah and adhering to the path, and to embrace ease, simplicity, and moderation in worship, and to avoid affectation, strictness, and excessive depth or exaggeration in application. They are based on textual evidence and its source, so Allah is not worshipped except by what He has prescribed. This includes the Muslim performing the prayers in the prescribed manner that Muslims have inherited and which has been the practice of their Sunnah, which includes reciting the Great Qur'an, and a pillar of it is reciting al-Fatihah in every rak'ah. Muslims have inherited the memorization of this noble surah, even those among them who are illiterate,
And whoever is unable to do so turns to dhikr, for there is no obligation in the case of inability. The function of the Muslim in these obligatory and non-obligatory prayers is to be occupied with his prayer, to have his heart present, to be submissive and his limbs quiet, and to make du'a' before his Lord:
and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.
وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَPrayer demands whole attention.
إن في الصلاة شغلاًIf these legal preliminaries are known, then let it be known that there are several legal prohibitions in reading in prayer by means of this device (the electronic mihrab): entering prayer with a prior intention to operate the device through its stages, and distraction from the right of prayer by much action contrary to humility, missing some of the sunnahs, and increasing in effort that Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have not authorized, and a change in the form of the legal prayer. Its explanation in detail is as follows: The much action is from several aspects: occupying the hand repeatedly by pressing the device's (button) to operate it, and taking out the index, then taking out the surah or page, then pressing it to take out another page and to search for the surah one wants to read, and occupying the eye while standing by fixing the gaze and directing the look toward the screen and its movement, and contemplating the lines in it, and occupying the mind with this screen by occupation and watching and controlling it and monitoring the end of the page to press the (button) and what accompanies that of fear and the current stopping and the device malfunctioning, and so on of being absorbed in thinking and monitoring this device. So the imam or the worshipper is preoccupied with what is not a condition or a pillar, and he is not commanded to attain it, but it leads in the case of the worshipper to being heedless in
his prayer from directing his mind, heart, and limbs to attaining humility and the pleasure of conversation, and this is a diminishment of the rights of prayer. And if the cloth of the Khumayshah occupied the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his prayer until he replaced the Khumayshah with something else, how then is the case of other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and how is this device with its television screen, its button, its bracelet, its machines, and its accessories? And it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the prohibition of being occupied with what is less than that, such as his prohibition of the worshipper wiping his place of prostration. In the two Sahihs, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
talked about a man leveling the earth on prostrating, and said, "If you have to do so, then do it once."
في الرجل يسوي التراب حيث يسجد، قال: إن كنت فاعلاً فواحدةhis limbs, and the missing of the presence of his mind and the emptying of his heart. And in it also is excessive strictness and effort in religion, and the texts of the Shari'ah prohibit that. From Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered and saw a rope stretched between the two pillars, so he said: What is this rope? They said: This is a rope for Zaynab, and when she becomes tired, she holds onto it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, untie it. Let one of you pray while he is energetic, and if he becomes tired, let him sit down
دخل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فإذا حبل ممدود بين الساريتين، فقال: ما هذا الحبل؟ قالوا: هذا حبل لزينب فإذا فترت تعلقت، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لا، حلوه، ليصل أحدكم نشاطه فإذا فتر فليقعدSo recite what is easy from it
فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُThis leads to falling into worshipping Allah with what has not been legislated. In addition to these prohibitions, there are others, such as the distraction of a number of worshippers behind the imam by this moving screen in front of them. It also leads to turning people away from memorizing the Book of Allah the Exalted, and dampening their enthusiasm for this great virtue of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It makes prayer a venue for the inventions of those who seek worldly gain and materialistic ideas. It becomes a means for those with ulterior motives and aims to occupy the mihrabs of Muslims with one who performs the function of prayer, while setting aside those who possess the qualifications, such as being more knowledgeable and more scrupulous, and so on. It opens the door to frivolity in this great Islamic pillar and the manifest religious practice that is widespread, praise be to Allah, in the cities and countries of Muslims. It is a cause for converting it into other actions and innovations, and for dissolving its great effects on the souls of Muslims by reforming it, its connection to Allah, and its prohibition for its doer from committing sins and deviations. It is not permissible to argue for the permissibility of this mihrab by citing the permissibility of reading from the mushaf, due to the many differences between the two. Therefore, the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta issues a ruling prohibiting this device religiously and prohibiting its use in prayer. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.