Egypt’s Al-Azhar issues fatwa on Pakistani president's request, permits suspension of Friday prayers

[Shahzaz ud din]

Egypt’s Al-Azhar issues fatwa on Pakistani president's request, permits suspension of Friday prayers


Web Desk
08:28 PM | 25 Mar, 2020

ISLAMABAD/CAIRO – The Supreme Ulema Council of Egypt's Al-Azhar University has issued a formal decree, banning congregation and Friday prayers in mosques to prevent spread of the coronavirus in the South Asian country.

In view of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Dr Arif Alvi had requested the Al-Azhar University to guide the Ummah how to take precautionary measures while performing religious obligations like prayers at mosques.

The decree (fatwa) further states that all evidences clearly indicate that public gatherings, including congregational prayers, can spread the coronavirus. Hence, government officials in Muslim countries have the authority to cancel congregational and Friday prayers.

Saudi Arabia has banned congregations for five daily prayers, as well as Friday prayers all over the country except inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

Turkey's top religious authority has also suspended all congregational prayers in mosques, including traditional Friday prayers, but said mosques will remain open for those who want to pray individually.

Mosques in Kuwait, where prayer congregations are banned, went so far as to transform the Azaan or the call to prayer slightly — instead of the usual call that includes Hayya Ala Al salah (come to prayer), muezzins in the country are announcing Al Salatu Fi Buyutikum (pray in your homes) from mosques five times a day.

The transformed call to prayer is rooted in the Sahih Bukhari, which has a narration from Abdullah bin Al-Harith on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) allowing for the exact same changes to the Azaan on rainy or muddy days.

Iran and other centres of Muslim faith have also suspended activities at shrines and holy mosques in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

However, authorities in Pakistan are yet to come up with a clear direction on the matter, even as they push for social distancing amidst unprecedented measures to curb the spread which threatens the country's healthcare system and economy.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) will begin consultations with ulema from Thursday to decide whether prayers can be offered at home as opposed to congregations in mosques as Pakistan goes into lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

 

[Trango Towers]

Link please

 

[KaiserX]

Great- we are outsourcing our national interests once again to foreign countries. What if they stated it is haram? would we still have friday prayers?

Why cant we have our own grand mufti of islamabad or something which follows the government line anyways like most of these arab countries do. Can be a useful tactic to keep mullahs in check...

 

[Max]

Next President of Pakistan will write a letter to Mufti of timbuktu for guidance

 

[PakFactor]

Great- we are outsourcing our national interests once again to foreign countries. What if they stated it is haram? would we still have friday prayers?

Why cant we have our own grand mufti of islamabad or something which follows the government line anyways like most of these arab countries do. Can be a useful tactic to keep mullahs in check...

Problem with Pakistani people they kiss Arab *** like @BATMAN hence this will sooth their concerns same for those Jamat people.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Why does the second most populous Muslim nation in the world need a fatwa from some African country thousands of miles away?

It's time to get rid of this President belonging to a foreign funded political party.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

In seriousness, in this situation our maulana sahibs aren't going to listen to the Arabs. There's a gulf between the modern tableeghi, deobandi et. al schools in Pakistan and the Fas'ha Arabic-literate circles in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, etc.

And I'm not talking about difference of opinion here, but ability to understand, competence and depth. You can't have a difference of opinion if you don't even understand the other guy's opinion, i.e., the first roadblocks our maulvi sahibs are going to have.

Remember, our maulvis think not having a beard is a huge sin, you can't even begin bringing up other opinions -- e.g., it's a mandub, or that niqaab isn't even a mandub but just neutral or permissible, etc.

As far as they're concerned, al-Azhar et. al don't exist.

PS: for those complaining about the President seeking al-Azhar's help. My God... al-Azhar predates every modern Muslim country by at least 1,000 years, it was always viewed as an authority on Islamic scholarship. Its alumni even include some public officials in other Muslim countries.

 

[El Sidd]

I just saw Mr. Muneeb ur Rahman somewhere on the news.

Use this man's talent of patiently putting the point across. People have nothing to do so just give him the mic and let him narrate order of the day

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

Mr. Muneeb ur Rahman

He was khateeb in our university mosque.In every juma khutba his main focus was to advise students to stay away from girls.

 

[313ghazi]

Great- we are outsourcing our national interests once again to foreign countries. What if they stated it is haram? would we still have friday prayers?

Why cant we have our own grand mufti of islamabad or something which follows the government line anyways like most of these arab countries do. Can be a useful tactic to keep mullahs in check...

Because we are idiots who only pay lip service to Islam. For 20 years I have heard of nationalising masjids and madrasas, putting state assigned imams, centrally controlled khutbah - instead we have halwa molvi free for all.

 

[masterchief_mirza]

Another 15 seconds of attention seeking by Al-Azhar.

 

[313ghazi]

Why does the second most populous Muslim nation in the world need a fatwa from some African country thousands of miles away?

It's time to get rid of this President belonging to a foreign funded political party.

Bring back Ameer ul momineen, Avenfield apartment wala

 

[masterchief_mirza]

Bring back Ameer ul momineen, Avenfield apartment wala

Hehehe

 

[El Sidd]

He was khateeb in our university mosque.In every juma khutba his main focus was to advise students to stay away from girls.

You should have simply argued that by the time his sentences are finished to their obvious conclusion, those girls become women.

No wonder you failed to capitalize on such a golden opportunity to seek knowledge from a very knowledgeable man.

 

[ASKardar]

https://www.facebook.com/

LAHORE (Web Desk) – Ulema of Al Azhar University responded to President of Pakistan Arif Alvi’s personal request and stopped mandatory congregational prayers and Friday prayer in mosques to protect human lives.

According to details, President Arif Alvi requested Grand Imam Shaikh of Al Azhar via Egyptian ambassador in Islamabad to provide guidance to people of Pakistan with regard to mandatory congregational prayers and Friday prayer in mosques during coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242776317579399172

In this regard, the Supreme Council of the scholars of the University of Al-Azhar has issued a formal fatwa and banned the congregational and Friday prayers, keeping in view the great purpose of protecting human life.

The fatwa states that all evidence clearly indicates that public gatherings, including congregational prayers, are leading to the spread of the coronavirus, so government officials in Muslim countries have the authority to stop congregational and Friday prayers.

In view of the situation in this regard, the families can arrange congregational prayers in their homes. Fatwa further states that it is mandatory for all Muslims to follow orders of state authorities regarding medical precautions, especially in the event of a crisis, and not believe in information and rumors from unofficial sources. The fatwa states that coronavirus spreads easily and rapidly and saving human lives from all dangers is one of the great aims of Islamic law.

To achieve these goals, the Supreme Council of Ulema issued a fatwa stating that state officials in every Muslim country are permitted to stop public gatherings, including congregational and Friday prayers to stop spread of the virus. It was further stated that elderly people should stay at their homes and avoid attending congregational and Friday prayers at mosques.

On the basis of this fatwa, President Arif Alawi has urged ulemas and the government officials to issue orders in light of these instructions as soon as possible.

SOURCE: http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/538267