If a person burps next to me during prayer and his smell offends me, do I have the right to leave the prayer because I feel like vomiting from it?
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The questioner : If a person burps next to me during prayer and his smell offends me, do I have the right to leave the prayer because I feel like vomiting from it?
The Shaykh : It is well known that burping usually does not persist; it happens only once, unless a person has an illness, in which case it may repeat and continue. I do not believe that a single instance would bring a person to the point of vomiting. Therefore, you should not leave the prayer unless it repeats and you are offended by it. There is no blame on you if you separate yourself from the prayer and move to another part of the row, away from this man. Likewise, if a man with a foul smell prays next to you and you are unable to bear staying, you may turn away and pray in another place, far from him.
On this occasion, I would like to say that it is not permissible for any person with a foul smell that offends people to come to the mosque and offend them. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding one who has eaten onions or garlic: The reason given for this is that the angels are offended by what the children of Adam are offended by. Thus, this hadith indicates that one with a foul smell should not approach the mosque, neither at the time of prayer nor at other times. If he is there at the time of prayer, the angels and the children of Adam are offended by it. If he is there at other times, the angels are offended by it. It is well known that offending the believers is forbidden, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ahzab 33:58].
Many people—and I do not say many, but some—eat onions and garlic and come with a smell that can be detected from a distance. They enter the mosque and pray with the people, causing them severe offense. This is forbidden for them and not permissible. If someone asks: Do you permit him to eat onions and the like of things with a foul smell, if it is permissible in the Shari'ah, even though it entails leaving the mosque? Our answer to this is: If he eats it for the purpose of leaving the mosque, it is forbidden for him. But if he eats it not for this purpose, but because he craves it, or to ward off a harm in it, or something similar, there is no blame on him for eating it, even if it leads to him leaving the mosque.
This is analogous to a man who travels during Ramadan, even if he is not compelled to travel, yet his travel necessitates that he break his fast. Do we say that travel is forbidden because you break your fast by it? No, we do not say that. Rather, we say: Travel and break your fast, unless you intend to break your fast by your travel. In that case, it is forbidden for him to break his fast, even if he travels. In fact, the scholars said it is forbidden for him to break his fast and travel together, because the travel is for a forbidden purpose, and what is for a forbidden purpose is forbidden. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Also, O honorable Shaykh, we say.
The Shaykh : It is well known that burping usually does not persist; it happens only once, unless a person has an illness, in which case it may repeat and continue. I do not believe that a single instance would bring a person to the point of vomiting. Therefore, you should not leave the prayer unless it repeats and you are offended by it. There is no blame on you if you separate yourself from the prayer and move to another part of the row, away from this man. Likewise, if a man with a foul smell prays next to you and you are unable to bear staying, you may turn away and pray in another place, far from him.
On this occasion, I would like to say that it is not permissible for any person with a foul smell that offends people to come to the mosque and offend them. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding one who has eaten onions or garlic:
They should not approach our mosques
لا يقربن مساجدناAnd those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًاMany people—and I do not say many, but some—eat onions and garlic and come with a smell that can be detected from a distance. They enter the mosque and pray with the people, causing them severe offense. This is forbidden for them and not permissible. If someone asks: Do you permit him to eat onions and the like of things with a foul smell, if it is permissible in the Shari'ah, even though it entails leaving the mosque? Our answer to this is: If he eats it for the purpose of leaving the mosque, it is forbidden for him. But if he eats it not for this purpose, but because he craves it, or to ward off a harm in it, or something similar, there is no blame on him for eating it, even if it leads to him leaving the mosque.
This is analogous to a man who travels during Ramadan, even if he is not compelled to travel, yet his travel necessitates that he break his fast. Do we say that travel is forbidden because you break your fast by it? No, we do not say that. Rather, we say: Travel and break your fast, unless you intend to break your fast by your travel. In that case, it is forbidden for him to break his fast, even if he travels. In fact, the scholars said it is forbidden for him to break his fast and travel together, because the travel is for a forbidden purpose, and what is for a forbidden purpose is forbidden. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Also, O honorable Shaykh, we say.