ACCOMPANYING CELL PHONES WHEN PRAYING AT THE MASJID

QUESTION:

What is the Islamic ruling concerning entering the Mosque and performing prayer with one’s cell phone switched on? As soon as people start performing prayer in humility, mobiles start ringing causing distraction and annoyance to people at the Masjid. Please provide an Islamic ruling on this matter. Jazakum Allahu Khayran.

 

ANSWER:

In an attempt to keep the decorum of the Mosque as a place of worship, we advise brothers and sisters to switch off their cell phones upon entering the Masjid. This will help them as well as other people praying to perform their prayers in tranquility. 

In his response to the question, the prominent Saudi Islamic lecturer and author, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid, states the following: 

“Islam is keen that the Muslim’s prayer should be perfect in terms of focus and humility, far removed from anything that may distract the praying person from prayer. 

Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We used to pray with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when it was intensely hot. When one of us could not bear to press his face to the ground (because of the heat), he would spread his garment and prostrate on it.” 
(Reported by Al-Bukhari). 

In his commentary on the aforementioned Hadith, Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, states: 

“The apparent meaning is that they used to do that in order to remove the distraction caused by the hot ground.” (Fath Al-Bari, 1/493) 

It is reported that Abu Sa?eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went into I’tikaaf in the Mosque, and he heard them reciting Qur’an in a loud voice. He drew back the curtain and said, “Each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices above one another when reading the Qur’an – or he said, when praying.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 1332) 

The above Hadith clearly makes it forbidden for people to distract one another from prayer by the Qur’anic recital. 

In conclusion: Islam stresses on humility and concentration in prayer, and encourages us to be persistent in that. What we see of these cell phones in the situation you mention is something that causes people to lose concentration and humility in prayer, because it is a disturbance that affects the spirit and tranquility of prayer. 

We advise our brothers to switch off their mobile phones at the time of prayer.”

WHY ARE WOMEN, NOT ALLOWED IN THE MOSQUE?

"ANSWER BY DR ZAKIR NAIK"

The question asked is, why are not women, allowed in the Mosque – And in brief, it is difficult. There is no statement in the QURAN  or the Sahih Hadith, which prevents women from entering the Mosque.

Some people quote a particular Hadith, and say that the Prophet said… ‘It is better for the women to pray in the house, than the Mosque – It is better for her to pray in the house, in her inner room, than in her house’. They are taking hold only of one source, and neglecting all the other sources.

You should realize the context of this Hadith. Prophet Mohammed also said that…  ‘When you pray in the Mosque in congregation, you get 27 times, more Sawab. So a lady questioned Prophet Mohammed… ‘We have got infants, we have got household work… how can we go to the Mosque?’ – So in reply to this, the Prophet said that…‘If a lady prays in the house, it is better than the Mosque – It is preferable for her to pray in the room, than the house’ – If she has infants or problems, then she will get the same Sawab There are several Hadiths which indicate that women were never prevented from entering the Mosque.

There is a Hadith which says that…‘Prevent not the servant of Allah, who are females, from entering the Mosque. Another Hadith says… ‘The Prophet ordained the husbands, that if your wives want to go to the Mosques, do not prevent them – And severalHadiths are there, I will not go to the details. But Islam gives permission for a woman to enter the Mosque – But there are separate and equal facilities

We do not believe in intermingling of sexes. Why we do not believe… as the question was asked earlier.If we have intermingling of sexes…and as we know what happens in the other Religious places – People come more for to Eve teasing and bird watching, than to pray. Therefore, Islam does not believe in intermingling of sexes. There are separate entrances for man and woman – separate places of ‘Wuduh’, ablution, for man and woman. Man and woman are made to stand separately, and a woman cannot stand in the front, because… because if a woman stands in front, but natural the man behind will be disturbed. In Islam when we pray, we stand shoulder to shoulder – And the medical doctors, they tell us that… ‘The female has 1 degree higher… one degree higher temperature.’ If you have a lady next to you, you will feel warm and soft – Instead of concentrating… instead of concentrating on Allah (SWT), you concentrate on the lady.

That is why in Islam, the women have to stand behind. You go to Saudi Arabia… women are allowed in the Mosque, you go to London… women are allowed in the Mosque, you go to America… women are allowed in the Mosque – It is only in India, that they are prevented, and a few countries close by. You go to the Haram-Sharif in Mecca, in Masjid-e-Nabwi, they are allowed. But Al-Hamdullillah there are few Mosques in India, even in Bombay, which have started allowing women in the Mosque – Hope the other Mosques will follow.