PERFORMING SALAAT WITH A MASK ON IS HARAAM
Allah Ta`ala declares in the Qur`aan Majeed, “And he (Nabi sallallahu alaihi wasallam) does not speak from his desire. It (his speech) is nothing but Wahi that is revealed to him.”
Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Perform Salaat as you see me performing Salaat.”
The very purpose of our creation is to worship Allah Rabbul Izzat. Allah Ta`ala informs us in His Kalaam, “And I have not created Jinn and Man except that they worship ME.” The very highest form of worship IS Salaat. In order for us to properly fulfil the purpose of our creation and also to worship Allah Ta`ala as He intended for us to, we HAVE to follow the Sunnah method as shown and instructed by Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
The present worldwide panic in the form of the little bogey virus is being used by the kuffaar to alter our Deen and render Muslims as impotent as the previous nations. As Muslims, we must understand that ultimate success and victory are to follow Divine Injunctions and not stupidly follow the dictates of fallible men. Our only success lies in diligently and religiously following the Sunnat of Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Acceptance of our Ibaadat depends on adhering to the teachings of our beloved Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
The recent re-opening of the Musaajid has brought multiple Haraam restrictive conditions. We have written about the inane gaps in the sufoof and with this article wish to highlight another Haraam practice, which diminishes the reward of Salaat, rendering it devoid of any substance. On the contrary, it incurs Divine Wrath.
Other than the Shar`i prohibition of donning masks in Salaat, there is fierce debate amongst medical experts regarding its effectiveness. There have also been reports of masks creating other health problems. After all, a person wearing a mask is breathing in his/her own carbon dioxide. It is a filthy and ineffective practice. Be that as it may, we reproduce hereunder some Ahaadith and excerpts from Fuqaha proving that the wearing of a mask, thereby covering the mouth (and nose) during Salaat has been explicitly prohibited by Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Keep in mind that when the Fuqaha rule an act to be ‘Makrooh’, they mean thereby: ‘Haraam.’
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «نَهَى عَنِ السَّدْلِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَأَنْ يُغَطِّيَ الرَّجُلُ فَاهُ»
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) prohibited sadal (leaving clothing loosely hanging from body) in Salaat and that a man covers his mouth. [Abu Dawood]
، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: «نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُغَطِّيَ الرَّجُلُ فَاهُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ»
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) prohibited that a man covers his mouth in Salaat. [Ibn Majah]
– مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمنِ بْنِ الْمُجَبَّرِ ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَرَى سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ، إِذَا رَأَى الْإِنْسَانَ يُغَطِّي فَاهُ، وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي، جَبَذَ الثَّوْبَ عَنْ فِيهِ جَبْذاً شَدِيداً، حَتَّى يَنْزِعَهُ عَنْ فِيهِ.
Imaam Maalik (rahmatullahi alaih) reports from Abdur Rahmaan bin Mujabbar, that he used to see Hadhrat Saalim bin Abdillah, who, whenever he saw a man with his mouth covered whilst in Salaat, he would yank the cloth from his mouth with a firm jerk, until he removed it from his mouth. [Muwatta Maalik]
يُوسُفُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ، عَنْ حَمَّادٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَنَّهُ «كَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُغَطِّيَ الرَّجُلُ فَاهُ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، وَيَكْرَهُ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَهِيَ مُتَنَقِّبَةٌ»
Yusuf reports from his father, who reports from Imaam Abu Hanifah, from Hammaad, from Ebrahim that he used to dislike that a man covers his mouth whilst he is performing Salaat, and he disliked that a woman performs Salaat whilst donning a niqab. [Aathaar Abi Yusuf]
(In the context, “dislike” means Makrooh-e-Tahrimi)
مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ، عَنْ حَمَّادٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ: «لَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يُغَطِّيَ الرَّجُلُ رَأْسَهُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ مَا لَمْ يُغَطِّ فَاهُ، وَيُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُغَطِّيَ فَاهُ» قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: وَبِهِ نَأْخُذُ، وَنَكْرَهُ أَيْضًا أَنْ يُغَطِّيَ أَنْفَهُ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Imaam Muhammed says, “Abu Hanifah reports from Hammaad who reports from Ebrahim, who said, “There is no harm if a man covers his head in Salaat (i.e. with a sheet or cloth over his topi), as long as he does not cover his mouth. It is Makrooh (Haraam) for a person to cover his mouth (in Salaat).”
Imaam Muhammed further states, “From this we deduce that it is Makrooh (Haraam) also for a person to cover his nose. This is the view of Abu Hanifah (radhiallahu anhu).” [Aathaar Muhammed bin Hasan]
وَحَدَّثَنِي الثَّقَفِيُّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ: «أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُغَطِّيَ الرَّجُلُ فَاهُ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ»
Thaqafi narrates from Muhammed that he used to dislike (i.e. regard it as Haraam) that a man covers his mouth whilst performing Salaat. [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah]
FROM THE ABOVE, IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT IT IS HARAAM FOR A MAN TO COVER HIS MOUTH (AND NOSE) WHILST PERFORMING SALAAT. IT IS HARAAM TO WEAR A MASK WHILST PERFORMING SALAAT.
May Allah Ta`ala guide this Ummah.