Seeking Forgiveness, Collective Supplication, and Collective Tasbih: Is It a Religious Innovation, Even Though It Is the Remembrance of Allah?
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The questioner : Seeking forgiveness, collective supplication, and collective tasbih: Is it a religious innovation, even though it is the remembrance of Allah?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Yes, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation) if they say it with one mouth, such as if a person leads them and says, "There is no god but Allah," and they say it with one mouth, "There is no god but Allah," or if they agree to say it with one mouth, "There is no god but Allah." This is a bid'ah (religious innovation). It is a bid'ah (religious innovation) because these people do this as an act of worship and to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and this form of drawing near has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions. Therefore, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation). However, if they say it and each person remembers Allah on his own, but their voices are mixed, then there is nothing wrong with it. This is the reality, for people after the obligatory prayer remember Allah (the Exalted), glorify Him, praise Him, and magnify Him with raised voices, as is prescribed, and their voices are mixed, but they are not with one voice. By this, it is known that people gathering to remember Allah, or to recite the Qur'an, or the like, with one voice is from the innovations, if they intend by this worship and drawing near to Allah. But if it is for teaching, such as if a person stands to teach the boys to read the Qur'an, he reads before them, and then they all read the Qur'an with one voice, then there is nothing wrong with it, because they do not intend by this worship, but they intend by it teaching. And actions are by intentions, and every person will have what he intended.
The questioner : What is the ruling on praying in a house built in a cemetery?
The Shaykh : First, it is not permissible to build a house in a cemetery, because the cemetery is a public endowment dedicated to a specific purpose, so it is not permissible to do in it what contradicts this purpose. It is well known that if a house is built in it, the owner of the house will have exclusive use of its benefit, and no one will be buried in it. Therefore, if a house is built in a cemetery, it must be demolished, and it is not permissible to live in it. And if it is not permissible to live in it, it is not permissible to pray in it.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Yes, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation) if they say it with one mouth, such as if a person leads them and says, "There is no god but Allah," and they say it with one mouth, "There is no god but Allah," or if they agree to say it with one mouth, "There is no god but Allah." This is a bid'ah (religious innovation). It is a bid'ah (religious innovation) because these people do this as an act of worship and to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and this form of drawing near has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions. Therefore, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation). However, if they say it and each person remembers Allah on his own, but their voices are mixed, then there is nothing wrong with it. This is the reality, for people after the obligatory prayer remember Allah (the Exalted), glorify Him, praise Him, and magnify Him with raised voices, as is prescribed, and their voices are mixed, but they are not with one voice. By this, it is known that people gathering to remember Allah, or to recite the Qur'an, or the like, with one voice is from the innovations, if they intend by this worship and drawing near to Allah. But if it is for teaching, such as if a person stands to teach the boys to read the Qur'an, he reads before them, and then they all read the Qur'an with one voice, then there is nothing wrong with it, because they do not intend by this worship, but they intend by it teaching. And actions are by intentions, and every person will have what he intended.
The questioner : What is the ruling on praying in a house built in a cemetery?
The Shaykh : First, it is not permissible to build a house in a cemetery, because the cemetery is a public endowment dedicated to a specific purpose, so it is not permissible to do in it what contradicts this purpose. It is well known that if a house is built in it, the owner of the house will have exclusive use of its benefit, and no one will be buried in it. Therefore, if a house is built in a cemetery, it must be demolished, and it is not permissible to live in it. And if it is not permissible to live in it, it is not permissible to pray in it.