Following the Example
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 1759 )
Q: What is the ruling on praying with the radio or a device connected to the broadcast that they hear from the radio, while they are in the farthest place?
A: The texts of the Book and the Sunnah indicate that it is obligatory to perform the five prayers in congregation. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:102] This verse commands the Exalted to perform the obligatory prayer in congregation at the most critical times, and grants a dispensation to leave some of its pillars to preserve the prayer in congregation along with the interest of jihad. This indicates the obligation of congregation. The hadith also indicates the obligation of congregation in the mosque: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to burn down the houses of people who lagged behind in performing it in congregation in their homes... but what prevented the execution was the presence of women and children in the houses, for whom attending the congregation in the mosque is not obligatory. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the mosque active with them. This is supported by the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:17-18]
And the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:36-37] These two verses show that the Exalted made it clear that keeping the mosques active by building them, elevating their status, and remembering Allah in them generally, and performing the prayers in them specifically, are among the characteristics of the believers. He encouraged them to do so and promised them a great reward for it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned among the seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there is no shade except His: the man whose heart is attached to the mosques. It is established in the authentic collections from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: Mishkat al-Masabih 1054 .
It is also established therein from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:Sahih Muslim 654b . It is established in the two authentic collections from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
It is established in Sahih Muslim from Abu ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: . It is established from Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said: Mishkat al-Masabih 700 And so on, from what is in the meaning of these hadiths. They indicate that the intention is not merely the command to perform the prayer in congregation in any form, but the command to perform it in congregation in the mosque, to establish this ritual in the houses of Allah, to distance oneself from the characteristics of the hypocrites in lagging behind it, to hope for the reward and the recompense, and the forgiveness of sins, and the raising of degrees by the steps he takes to the house of Allah the Exalted, and to expose oneself to the supplications of the angels for him with mercy and forgiveness as long as he is in his place of prayer, with nothing preventing him from leaving it except his waiting for the prayer. Whoever prays in his house, his farm, or his shop in congregation with the imam of the mosque via the voice of the radio, for example, and lags behind attending the congregation in the house of Allah, that indicates his negligence in complying with the commands of the Shari'ah, and his turning away and his soul's disinterest in what multiplies his good deeds, by which Allah raises him to the highest degrees, and by which He forgives his bad deeds. He has contradicted the commands indicating the obligation of performing it in the mosques, and he has become deserving of the warning with which those who lag behind attending the congregation in the mosques are warned. Then, his prayer may fall into states in which his prayer is not valid, according to a group of jurists, such as being alone behind the rows while it is possible for him to enter a row if he were in the mosque, and being in front of the imam. Also, something may occur that prevents him from following the imam, such as a defect in the receiving or transmitting device, or the electricity being cut off, whereas he is safe from this if he prays in a place where he can see the imam and the followers. Thus, we see that it is not permissible to pray in his house alone, or in a congregation independent of the mosque's congregation, or following the imam of the mosque via the broadcast.
The ranks are determined by the steps he takes toward the House of Allah the Exalted, and by his exposure to the angels' supplications for his mercy and forgiveness as long as he remains in his place of worship, where nothing prevents him from leaving except his waiting for the prayer. Whoever prays in his home, farm, or shop in congregation with the imam of the mosque via the radio, for example, and fails to attend the congregation in the House of Allah, that indicates his negligence in complying with the commands of the Shari'ah, and his turning away and his soul's disinterest in what multiplies his good deeds, elevates him to the highest ranks by Allah, and causes His forgiveness of his sins. He also contradicts the commands indicating the obligation of performing it in the mosques, and becomes deserving of the warning threatened to those who fail to attend the congregation in the mosques. Furthermore, his prayer may fall into conditions under which his prayer is invalid according to a group of jurists, such as being alone behind the rows while it is possible for him to join a row if he were in the mosque, or being in front of the imam. Also, something may occur that prevents him from following the imam, such as a malfunction in the receiving or transmitting device, or a power outage, whereas he is safe from this if he prays in a place where he can see the imam and the followers. Thus, we see that it is not permissible for him to pray in his home alone, or in a congregation independent of the mosque's congregation, or by following the mosque's imam via the radio.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Q: What is the ruling on praying with the radio or a device connected to the broadcast that they hear from the radio, while they are in the farthest place?
A: The texts of the Book and the Sunnah indicate that it is obligatory to perform the five prayers in congregation. Allah the Exalted said:
And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you
وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ(17) It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally. (18) The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakah and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the [rightly] guided.
مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ (17) إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلا اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُولَئِكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَAnd the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings (37) [Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالآصَالِ (36) رِجَالٌ لاَ تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلاَ بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِHe told of a blind man coming to the Prophet and saying, “Messenger of God, I have no one to guide me to the mosque.” He therefore asked God’s Messenger for licence to pray at home, and he granted it; then when the man turned away he called him and asked, “Can you hear the call to prayer?” On receiving the reply that he could, he said, “Well, respond to it.” Muslim transmitted it.
أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم رجل أعمى فقال: يا رسول الله: إنه ليس لي قائد يقودني إلى المسجد، فسأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يرخص له فيصلي في بيته، فرخص له، فلما ولى دعاه فقال: هل تسمع النداء بالصلاة؟ قال: نعم، قال: فأجبIt is also established therein from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these prayers, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, and these (prayers) are among the paths of right guidance. If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the mosque) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet, you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.
من سره أن يلقى الله غدًا مسلمًا فليحافظ على هؤلاء الصلوات حيث ينادى بهن، فإن الله شرع لنبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم سنن الهدى، وإنهن من سنن الهدى، ولو أنكم صليتم في بيوتكم كما يصلي هذا المتخلف في بيته: لتركتم سنة نبيكم، ولو تركتم سنة نبيكم لضللتم، وما من رجل يتطهر فيحسن الطهور، ثم يعمد إلى مسجد من هذه المساجد إلا كتب الله له بكل خطوة يخطوها حسنة، ويرفعه بها درجة، ويحط عنه بها سيئة، ولقد رأيتنا وما يتخلف عنها إلا منافق معلوم النفاق، ولقد كان الرجل يؤتى به يهادى بين الرجلين حتى يقام في الصفThe prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five degrees better than his prayer in his house and his prayer in his market. That is because when one of them performs wudu and perfects the wudu, then goes to the mosque, with nothing urging him except the prayer, and he intends nothing except the prayer, he does not take a step but that a degree is raised for him thereby and a sin is removed from him thereby, until he enters the mosque. And when he enters the mosque, he is in prayer as long as the prayer holds him. And the angels pray for one of you as long as he is in the place where he prayed, saying: O Allah, have mercy on him. O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, accept his repentance. As long as he does not do something that breaks his prayer.
صلاة الرجل في جماعة تزيد على صلاته في بيته وصلاته في سوقه خمسًا وعشرين درجة، وذلك أن أحدهم إذا توضأ فأحسن الوضوء ثم أتى المسجد لا ينهزه إلا الصلاة لا يريد إلا الصلاة فلم يخط خطوة إلا رفع له بها درجة وحط عنه بها خطيئة، حتى يدخل المسجد، فإذا دخل المسجد كان في صلاة ما كانت الصلاة هي تحبسه، والملائكة يصلون على أحدكم ما دام في مجلسه الذي صلى فيه، يقولون: اللهم ارحمه، اللهم اغفر له، اللهم تب عليه، ما لم يحدثIt is established in Sahih Muslim from Abu ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
A man from the Ansar had a house that was the farthest house in Madinah, so he never missed praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). We felt sorry for him, so I said to him: "O so-and-so, if only you bought a donkey to protect you from the scorching heat and from the creatures of the earth." He said: "By Allah, I do not love that my house be separated from the house of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)." So I carried him in my arms until I reached the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him. He called him and said the same to him, mentioning that he hoped for reward in his footsteps. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You will have what you intended."
كان رجل من الأنصار بيته أقصى بيت في المدينة ، فكان لا تخطئه الصلاة مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: فتوجعنا له، فقلت له: يا فلان لو أنك اشتريت حمارًا يقيك من الرمضاء ويقيك من هوام الأرض، قال: أما والله ما أحب أن بيتي مطنب ببيت محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: فحملت به حملاً حتى أتيت نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأخبرته، قال: فدعاه، فقال له مثل ذلك، وذكر له أنه يرجو في أثره الأجر، فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن لك ما احتسبتJabir said that the area round the mosque was vacant and that the Banu Salima wanted to move near the mosque, but when the Prophet heard of that he said to them, “I have heard that you want to move near the mosque.” They replied, “Yes, Messenger of God, that was our desire.” He said, “Banu Salima, if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded; if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded.”
خلت البقاع حول المسجد فأراد بنو سلمة أن ينتقلوا إلى قرب المسجد، فبلغ ذلك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال لهم: إنه بلغني أنكم تريدون أن تنتقلوا قرب المسجد، قالوا: نعم يا رسول الله، قد أردنا ذلك، فقال: يا بني سلمة دياركم تكتب آثاركمThe ranks are determined by the steps he takes toward the House of Allah the Exalted, and by his exposure to the angels' supplications for his mercy and forgiveness as long as he remains in his place of worship, where nothing prevents him from leaving except his waiting for the prayer. Whoever prays in his home, farm, or shop in congregation with the imam of the mosque via the radio, for example, and fails to attend the congregation in the House of Allah, that indicates his negligence in complying with the commands of the Shari'ah, and his turning away and his soul's disinterest in what multiplies his good deeds, elevates him to the highest ranks by Allah, and causes His forgiveness of his sins. He also contradicts the commands indicating the obligation of performing it in the mosques, and becomes deserving of the warning threatened to those who fail to attend the congregation in the mosques. Furthermore, his prayer may fall into conditions under which his prayer is invalid according to a group of jurists, such as being alone behind the rows while it is possible for him to join a row if he were in the mosque, or being in front of the imam. Also, something may occur that prevents him from following the imam, such as a malfunction in the receiving or transmitting device, or a power outage, whereas he is safe from this if he prays in a place where he can see the imam and the followers. Thus, we see that it is not permissible for him to pray in his home alone, or in a congregation independent of the mosque's congregation, or by following the mosque's imam via the radio.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.