Ruling on being distracted from prayer by reading papers pasted on the walls
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Question:
At the beginning of this episode, we return to the message of our listener: 'Abbud Ahmad Bu 'Askar from the Yemeni Republic, Hadramawt Governorate, Al-Qatn District. Our brother 'Abbud, we addressed some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode he has one remaining question, in which he says: "I was standing in my office one day praying the midday prayer, and there were papers pasted on the wall in front of me, with writing on them. I looked at them inadvertently and read some of the words. Is my prayer accepted? I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good."
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The prayer is valid, but it is not befitting for the one praying to be distracted from the prayer by reading on the wall or on the ground. Rather, he should focus on his prayer, gather his heart for it, and be humble in it before his Lord (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mu'minun 23:1] those who are humble in their prayers [Al-Mu'minun:1-2].
The Sunnah for the one praying, whether a man or a woman, is that he should focus on his prayer and not look at the walls or anything else. Rather, he should cast his gaze toward the place of his prostration, occupy himself with his prayer, and know that he is conversing with his Lord and that he is standing before Him as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 551.
So the believer should fear Allah in this matter and strive to have his prayer at the highest level of perfection, focusing on it and being humble in it before his Lord , and not be distracted from it by thinking, or by reading writing on a wall, on the ground, or elsewhere.
Furthermore, the fact that you are praying in the office alone is reprehensible. It is obligatory for you to pray with the congregation in the mosques. It is not permissible for a man to pray in his office, nor for the people of the office to pray in their office. Rather, it is obligatory for the people of offices to pray with the people in the mosques of Allah, as the Chosen One (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 2:308 And in the two Sahihs, it is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he intended to set fire to the houses of those who left the prayer and prayed in their homes. He said: Sunan Ibn Majah 791Sahih (Darussalam).
He did not say: "They do not pray." He said: "They do not attend," meaning: they do not attend it with the Muslims in the mosques. And in a narration by Ahmad:Mishkat al-Masabih 1073.
It is obligatory for every Muslim to be cautious about lagging behind in the prayer in the mosques, and to be cautious about imitating the people of hypocrisy in all the prayers, especially the dawn prayer, for many people have imitated the hypocrites in this. So caution is required, and all five prayers must be in the mosques: the dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night prayers, all of them. It is obligatory for the man to pray in the mosques with his brothers, and it is not permissible for him to lag behind them in his home or in his office. Prayer in the home is for women and the sick. As for the one whom Allah has spared, the one whom Allah has spared, it is obligatory for him to pray with his brothers in the mosques.
And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him): And in a wording: Sunan Abi Dawud 552Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) This man is blind and has no guide, and yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says to him: "Answer the call." There is no dispensation for you. So what about the state of the one whom Allah has spared from blindness? What about the state of the strong man?
It is obligatory for every Muslim to fear Allah, to be cautious of the punishment of Allah, and to hasten to the prayer in the mosques of Allah with his brothers, and to gain the great reward in that, the good reputation, and the gathering with his brothers, and the getting to know one another and forming bonds. We ask Allah for guidance for all of you. Yes.
The presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
At the beginning of this episode, we return to the message of our listener: 'Abbud Ahmad Bu 'Askar from the Yemeni Republic, Hadramawt Governorate, Al-Qatn District. Our brother 'Abbud, we addressed some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode he has one remaining question, in which he says: "I was standing in my office one day praying the midday prayer, and there were papers pasted on the wall in front of me, with writing on them. I looked at them inadvertently and read some of the words. Is my prayer accepted? I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good."
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The prayer is valid, but it is not befitting for the one praying to be distracted from the prayer by reading on the wall or on the ground. Rather, he should focus on his prayer, gather his heart for it, and be humble in it before his Lord (Mighty and Majestic), as Allah the Exalted said:
Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ The Sunnah for the one praying, whether a man or a woman, is that he should focus on his prayer and not look at the walls or anything else. Rather, he should cast his gaze toward the place of his prostration, occupy himself with his prayer, and know that he is conversing with his Lord and that he is standing before Him as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When any one of you is engaged in prayer, he is holding intimate conversation with his Lord
إذا قام أحدكم في الصلاة، فإنه يناجي ربهSo the believer should fear Allah in this matter and strive to have his prayer at the highest level of perfection, focusing on it and being humble in it before his Lord , and not be distracted from it by thinking, or by reading writing on a wall, on the ground, or elsewhere.
Furthermore, the fact that you are praying in the office alone is reprehensible. It is obligatory for you to pray with the congregation in the mosques. It is not permissible for a man to pray in his office, nor for the people of the office to pray in their office. Rather, it is obligatory for the people of offices to pray with the people in the mosques of Allah, as the Chosen One (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) said:
Whoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse.
من سمع النداء، فلم يأت؛ فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرI was thinking of commanding that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go out with some other men carrying bundles of wood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses down around them.
لقد هممت أن آمر بالصلاة فتقام، ثم آمر رجلًا فيؤم الناس، ثم أنطلق برجال معهم حزم من حطب، إلى رجال لا يشهدون الصلاة؛ فأحرق عليهم بيوتهمHe did not say: "They do not pray." He said: "They do not attend," meaning: they do not attend it with the Muslims in the mosques. And in a narration by Ahmad:
Were it not for the women and children who are in the houses
لولا ما في البيوت من النساء والذرية؛ لحرقتها عليهمIt is obligatory for every Muslim to be cautious about lagging behind in the prayer in the mosques, and to be cautious about imitating the people of hypocrisy in all the prayers, especially the dawn prayer, for many people have imitated the hypocrites in this. So caution is required, and all five prayers must be in the mosques: the dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night prayers, all of them. It is obligatory for the man to pray in the mosques with his brothers, and it is not permissible for him to lag behind them in his home or in his office. Prayer in the home is for women and the sick. As for the one whom Allah has spared, the one whom Allah has spared, it is obligatory for him to pray with his brothers in the mosques.
And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him):
That a blind man asked him, saying: "O Messenger of Allah! I have no guide to lead me [in another wording: to lead me to the mosque]. Do I have a dispensation to pray in my house?" He said to him (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him): "Do you hear the call to prayer?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then answer the call"
أنه سأله رجل أعمى، فقال: يا رسول الله! ليس لي قائد يلائمني -وفي لفظ يقودني إلى المسجد- فهل لي من رخصة أن أصلي في بيتي؟ فقال له -عليه الصلاة والسلام-: هل تسمع النداء بالصلاة؟ قال: نعم، قال: فأجبI do not find any permission for you.
لا أجد لك رخصةIt is obligatory for every Muslim to fear Allah, to be cautious of the punishment of Allah, and to hasten to the prayer in the mosques of Allah with his brothers, and to gain the great reward in that, the good reputation, and the gathering with his brothers, and the getting to know one another and forming bonds. We ask Allah for guidance for all of you. Yes.
The presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.