Coronavirus: Mindset, Etiquettes & Rulings - Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

Medical Advice from the Masjid

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

With the current rapidly changing circumstances regarding the coronavirus pandemic, as a community, we need to know how to protect ourselves, to reduce the spread of infection, and to protect ourselves. In line with NHS guidelines, Green Lane Masjid would like to provide you with some advice, which we recommend that you take seriously, as the important thing is that we need to be protecting each other's lives, and this advice is incredibly important.

The number one thing that I can advise: coronavirus is, in most patients, a mild disease. However, in certain populations — including the elderly, those people who have long-term chronic conditions, the pregnant, and those who are immunocompromised — the risk of that infection becoming life-threatening is very real. And that's why we advise this population of our congregation that at this time, you should not be attending the masjid.

Secondly, those people who have any symptoms of coronavirus — and there are two main symptoms that you need to be aware of: firstly, if you have a new persistent cough, and secondly, high fevers. If you have these two symptoms, or one or the other, we recommend that you do not attend the masjid, as you will spread the infection. Instead, as per the guidelines, you should stay at home and self-isolate for seven days, and also get in touch with the NHS hotline.

Thirdly, at this time, when we say Salaam, we should not be shaking hands. This is because the most accepted theory of the spread of infection is via contact and air droplets. And if we are shaking hands, the risk of spreading this infection is very real. Therefore, we recommend that when we are saying Salaam, we can just put a hand on our chest.

Number four, we advise that when our congregation comes to the masjid, they make wudu at home and limit the use of the facilities within the masjid. Also, as per the NHS guidelines, increase the frequency of washing your hands and follow the 20-second rule, which is to use hot soapy water and to wash all parts of our hands. You can find very detailed diagrams on the website about how to wash your hands properly and safely.

Regarding all other masjid activities — including the five daily salah, the funeral services, the Friday prayers, and our preparation for Ramadan — for the time being, everything will continue as it is. But should we receive further guidance, for instance if the government were to ban all mass gatherings, then we may be changing our stance. Therefore, we recommend that you follow our WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

As a masjid, we have also set up the COVID-19 emergency service to help provide support to the elderly and those who may need to self-isolate. We will be providing supplies such as groceries, medications, and other essential supplies. But we do need your help, your support, and your volunteers. If anyone is interested, please go to the masjid reception after the Jumu'ah.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Seek out the vulnerable among you. Verily, you are only given provision and support due to your support of the weak."

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2896)

As Muslims, we place our trust in Allah, and ultimate protection comes from Him and through His remembrance. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"No disaster strikes except by the permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart, and Allah is Knowing of all things."

Khutbah: Our Need for Allah in Times of Trial

Over the past few weeks, as we've known and as we've seen and as we continue to see, the whole world has gone into a different mode due to something that is unprecedented. It is a fast-developing, constantly changing scenario — something that we don't really experience firsthand, because for most of us we have been blessed and fortunate enough that when issues like this take place they are often far from our shores. They are things that are distant to us, behind a television screen, in a newspaper or on a website, so we don't really experience them firsthand.

But when it strikes and comes amongst us, when it is rampant and there is real tension and sometimes even fear within the community and amongst people at large, then it is something that we begin to take very close and very seriously. And as with all tests and all such situations, each and every single one of them is a reminder from Allah. And as I've been reflecting on this situation and its development over the last few days and weeks, a verse of the Qur'an continuously comes to my mind — one that shows us how fragile our life is.

How we have taken things for granted. How the constructs around us have given us a sometimes false sense of security. How we often think that things that happen to others won't happen to us. And if this situation shows us anything, it shows us how fragile our existence is — despite all of the medicine, technology, engineering, and everything else we have at our disposal. We as humans are weak and fragile. As we see with what is happening to businesses around the world, airlines, hotels, stock markets — it shows you how fragile and how weak we are.

Allah says in Surah Fatir — the verse that has constantly been coming back to me over and over again:

"O people, you are the ones who are impoverished, in need of Allah. And Allah is rich, free of all need, worthy of all praise. If He so willed, He could remove all of you and bring a new creation. And that is not something difficult upon Allah."

This verse of the Qur'an should make us reflect on how much we are in need of Allah. And I don't just mean from the point of view of our wealth, our economic stability, our health, and the way that life needs to go on for us to live in a comfortable and productive way. I mean how much we are in need of Allah's mercy and His forgiveness. How much we are in need — desperately and impoverished — for the gift of Iman, for belief in Allah. Something that we take for granted.

Today, on this day of Friday, there are masajid across the world that do not have a Salatul Jumu'ah. Doors of masajid have been closed because their governments have told them that people cannot congregate in numbers over 50 or 100 or 200. This morning I received a message from Kuwait — a Muslim country — where the doors of masajid have been closed. It shows us how much we take things for granted. We take our Iman for granted. We take Allah's blessings for granted. We take for granted the fact that we have access to the masjid, that we can come and pray and worship Allah.

Never in our minds did we imagine that we would see, in the UK, in Europe, in North America, a time when you couldn't go for Umrah, and a time when you can't possibly come to the masjid. A time when you're told there is no Jumu'ah. And if that continues and rolls on, Ramadan is only a few short weeks away. May Allah allow us to witness the month of Ramadan. We will be in severe need of that month to strengthen our Iman and build up our faith. But it may well be the case that you cannot come to the masjid for Taraweeh, that you cannot come to break your fast in the masjid, that there is no Eid Salah in the way that we have become accustomed to. So many different aspects of our religion are communal acts of worship — they require us to congregate, to come together and show the open bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood. But that may possibly be something taken away from us.

How much are we in need of Allah? How weak are we? And Imam Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullahu ta'ala, when he was commenting on this concept of al-iftiqar — of need and impoverishment before Allah — he said that its true form is when a person, inwardly and outwardly, is in need of Allah. They are never rich enough, strong enough, powerful enough, or independent enough to do anything in their life except by the permission and the will of Allah. And that's how much we need our Iman.

We come, most of us, to the masjid to give ourselves an Iman boost. We come to the Jumu'ah because we need that message given from the minbar. We need to come together to pray salah because it gives us solace and contentment in our religion amidst all of the issues around us. And when it is taken away from us, we understand how valuable and precious it is.

And that's why throughout the Qur'an and in the Sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ, in times like this — times of actual need, of real need and real test — the guidance of the Qur'an and the Sunnah is that these events should turn you back to Allah more. They should bring you closer to Allah and make you reflect upon that fragile state of Iman that most of us have. That we don't know what event will come and break that connection. May Allah keep us all strong.

It is in times like this that we see in the Qur'an the lessons and benefits from the stories of the prophets — that when times like this came, they would turn back to Allah. And that's why throughout the Qur'an, with all of the stories of the prophets, irrespective of the trials and tests and the nature of the tribulations they faced, the common denominator and the single pattern that unites them all is that they would turn back to Allah — making more du'a, making more tawbah, making more istighfar, making more dhikr of Allah, turning back to Allah.

Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullahu ta'ala said that you see from the Qur'an that Allah tells us that from the greatest ways of relieving diseases, pandemics, and other tests and tribulations that we face is by doing more good deeds — not less. And that becomes challenging in times when you may be told to stay away from congregating, stay away from the masjid, don't come so much, don't get together, and Ramadan is going to change. That is where it comes to the issue of having that personal strength of Iman — of turning to Allah in your personal du'a, your personal istighfar, and your personal dhikr of Allah.

We are so used to relying upon ourselves, upon one another, and upon society in general, that we have become weakened when it comes to our reliance upon Allah.

Du'as for Protection and Reliance upon Allah

In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Hawala radiyallahu anhu, recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud, the Prophet ﷺ made this du'a as he was speaking to a group of his companions:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2959)

"O Allah, do not make these people dependent upon me, lest I should be too weak to help them. Do not make them dependent upon themselves, lest they should be unable to help themselves. And do not make them dependent upon others, lest they should give themselves better treatment than they give to others."

All of us are in need of Allah's mercy and His forgiveness. And that is why the Prophet ﷺ recommended to us du'as that we should be reading every morning and every evening — du'as that should be part of your daily routine. From those du'as are du'as that speak to times like this: of how Allah gives protection and safety and how Allah helps relieve these types of issues taking place today.

The Prophet ﷺ, in the hadith also collected in Sunan Abi Dawud, the hadith of Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, gave us this du'a:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 5090)

"O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope in, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. There is none worthy of worship except You."

As Muslims, we take on board medical advice and practical advice, and everything that you are being told to do or not to do is something that you should be doing as a responsible Muslim. But what makes us different is that alongside that, we have our trust in Allah, our Iman in Allah, and our belief in Allah's decree, in His knowledge, and in His wisdom.

The Prophet ﷺ told us in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar radiyallahu anhuma, also in Sunan Abi Dawud, that every morning and every evening he would make this du'a as part of his adhkar:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 5074)

"O Allah, I ask for Your protection and well-being in this world and the next. O Allah, I ask for Your pardon and well-being for my religion, my worldly affairs, my wealth, and my family. O Allah, veil my weaknesses and grant safety to my fears. O Allah, protect me from in front of me, from behind me, from my right, from my left, from above me, and I seek refuge in Your greatness from being struck down from beneath me."

That is an amazing du'a that the Prophet ﷺ would make every morning and every evening.

In the hadith of Uthman radiyallahu anhu in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3388)

"There is not a person who, every morning and every evening, three times says: 'In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing in the heavens and the earth can harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing' — except that nothing will harm them."

Islamic Etiquettes in Times of Illness

With that trust in Allah, with that Iman, with understanding your need before Allah, by humbling yourself and showing your poverty before your Lord and Creator — it is one of the things that we are desperately in need of. And so what we do is we take the small things for granted. We don't appreciate the blessings that Allah has given to us. And that brings me on to the second point: the etiquettes that we should have.

Our religion is amazing in the way that we should be acting, in the etiquettes and mannerisms that we should have on a daily basis. Much of the advice that you hear — that you heard before the Jumu'ah prayer, that you hear on TV and from the news — those different things that you're being told to do are Islamic concepts.

Covering the Mouth When Sneezing or Coughing

Cover your mouth when you sneeze or when you cough. Cough into your clothes instead of your hands. These are Islamic concepts. It is narrated about the Prophet ﷺ that when he used to sneeze, he would cover himself with either his hand or with his clothing. That is something which the Prophet ﷺ used to do.

Frequent Handwashing and Purification

Washing your hands frequently. It is the Sunnah in our religion that you should be making wudu for every salah even if you don't need to — it is the Sunnah to make a fresh wudu. So you are washing your hands constantly for 20 or 30 seconds or longer. That is an Islamic concept, because the Prophet ﷺ told us that purification, cleanliness, and hygiene — that is half of faith. Allah is pure and He loves that which is pure.

Self-Isolation — an Islamic Principle

The Prophet ﷺ told us, if you need to stay away and self-isolate, keep away from people. He told us in the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that someone who is sick and ill should not mix with someone who is healthy. If you have an illness, or you think that you have something that someone may catch from you by the permission of Allah, then you stay away from that person. That is an Islamic concept of self-isolation.

In the hadith also in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the hadith of al-Sharid ibn Suwayd al-Thaqafi radiyallahu anhu — a companion from Ta'if, from the tribe of Banu Thaqif — they came as a delegation towards the end of the life of the Prophet ﷺ. The whole tribe came en masse to accept Islam and to give the pledge of allegiance, which involves shaking the hand of the Prophet ﷺ. But amongst them was a man who had a form of leprosy, a contagious illness. They left him beyond the city limits, outside of Madinah, and came to the Prophet ﷺ, accepted Islam and gave him their pledge of allegiance. They said: "O Messenger of Allah, amongst us is a man whom we left outside of Madinah for this reason — this is his situation and his condition."

The Prophet ﷺ sent a messenger to him saying:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2231)

"We have accepted your pledge of allegiance, so go back."

He did not ask him to come in, did not tell him to come to the masjid, did not tell him to come to meet the Prophet ﷺ — despite the virtues of meeting the Prophet ﷺ, sitting with him, speaking with him, being in his masjid, and giving the physical pledge of allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ. "We have accepted your pledge — return home, go back." And that is because our religion has this concept of self-isolation.

If you are ill, if you fear — especially when there is something like this going around — that there are people who are susceptible and vulnerable to your condition, then to stay away from them, to self-isolate, to keep away from those places where that may spread, is an Islamic concept.

The Plague of 'Amwas and the Wisdom of Dispersal

In the 18th year of the Hijrah, in the khilafah of Umar radiyallahu anhu, a plague struck in al-Sham — the region of Palestine and Syria — known as the Ta'un of 'Amwas. 'Amwas is an area in modern-day Palestine where it started. From amongst those who died in that plague were some of the senior companions of the Prophet ﷺ, including Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radiyallahu anhu and many others. The books of Muslim history record that over 20,000 Muslims died in that single plague.

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As radiyallahu anhu, the famous companion, would eventually become the governor of this province whilst the plague was still rampant. He was appointed by Umar radiyallahu anhu. And when he came — a man known for his intelligence and genius — he observed that one of the reasons the plague was spreading so widely was because people were constantly together, constantly mixing, always with their families and communities. So he said to them: go and spread out into the mountains, go out into the desert, go out far away and do not congregate so much. And it was one of the reasons by the permission of Allah that the plague was lifted.

When Umar radiyallahu anhu heard what Abdullah ibn Amr had done, he was amazed by his intelligence and perceptiveness — that he saw this pattern and warned the people accordingly. That is an Islamic concept within our religion.

The Principle of Preventing Harm

So when you're told it's best not to shake hands — shaking hands is not wajib, it is a Sunnah, something good to do — but if it is better for you to refrain from it, this is understanding the principle of the sharia: leaving off what is more harmful even if there is a benefit in it. Removing harm is one of the foundations of our religion, one of the cornerstones of our sharia.

To the extent that our Prophet ﷺ told us, as in the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 855; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 564)

"Whoever eats from this plant — meaning the garlic plant" — or in another narration, garlic and onion — "then do not let him come near our masjid."

In one of the wordings of the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Because the angels are harmed by that which harms other people."

In the opinion of the vast majority of scholars, it is not haram to eat garlic or onions. But it is severely disliked because of this hadith of the Prophet ﷺ — it harms people, it harms angels. There is a harm that emanates and so therefore you stay away from the masjid. And if that is the case from just eating something like garlic or onions, then what about when there is a serious and real danger? Something which people need to be acutely aware of.

So our religion is that amazing religion that contains within it mercy and guidance from Allah, and also comes to help people live their lives in a safe, comfortable, and healthy way. To bring those two components together — to listen to what you're being told and the advice being given, but then at the same time, and more importantly, to have that strong foundation of Iman. To turn back to Allah in times like this, to make du'a, to make istighfar and seek forgiveness for your sins, to give more sadaqah, to do more good and help those around you who are in need of help, and to ask Allah by making dhikr to Him for His protection and safety.

That is the way that we as Muslims should respond during these times. We ask Allah that He keeps us and our families and our communities safe.

Islamic Rulings: Congregational and Jumu'ah Prayer

The third issue that I wanted to deal with in today's khutbah is some of the rulings that either already apply to some of us or may well apply in the near future. And again, it is from the beauty of our religion — from the things that we take for granted — how amazing our sharia is, that we have within it these principles and rulings from which we can deduce what we need in order to apply them to our situation.

The first issue, as it relates to congregational prayer and Jumu'ah prayer: people who have symptoms of coronavirus, who fear that they have symptoms of this virus, should not come to the masjid. Not that it is disliked or maybe they shouldn't — according to some scholars, it is haram. The senior scholars of Saudi Arabia gave a fatwa recently saying that it is haram for them to come to the masjid. And that has its basis in the sharia — it has a basis within the evidences of the Qur'an and the Sunnah — based upon those principles of stopping and refraining from harming others.

We have within our community people who are highly vulnerable. Our elders, people who have serious underlying health conditions. For them, they should not come to the masjid — not for the Jumu'ah prayer and not for the congregational prayer. They should pray at home. And anyone who prays the Jumu'ah prayer at home prays four rak'ahs — they pray Dhuhr. You do not pray Jumu'ah at home. You do not have your own khutbah, or your own salah of Jumu'ah, or follow it online or from YouTube. You pray Dhuhr — four rak'ahs as you would usually do.

Number two: people for whom it is not necessary to come to the masjid anyway — our sisters, children, travelers, people upon whom Salatul Jumu'ah and jama'ah is not even an obligation — on the opinion that jama'ah is an obligation upon Muslim men — those people should stay away from the masjid. And I know that is difficult. And I know it is hard. We enjoy coming to the masjid and congregating. But it is from the masalih of the sharia, from the way that the sharia looks at these issues, that it is better for those people to stay away from the masjid. They can follow the khutbah online and listen to the salah online. But it is better for them to stay away from the masjid.

Number three: if you are in a position where — even though you may be young and healthy — you are fearful that if you contract this illness you have elderly people in your household who are dependent upon you, who need you to look after them and for their well-being, then it is allowed for you. It is a rukhsah, a concession, for you to also stay away from the congregational and Jumu'ah salah.

These are major changes for the vast majority of us. But whilst and until the situation calms down and stabilizes, these are rulings of Islam — not from me, but from scholars of our religion in Saudi Arabia and other places who have spoken about this issue at length. For those people to stay away from the masjid, it is allowed.

In my personal view and opinion, it would be prudent for masajid to shorten the Jumu'ah prayer, as has been done in other places across the world. It is also the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ that he would give a short khutbah. It is something which we are not accustomed to — that someone comes and gives a five or ten-minute khutbah, the salah is done, and we are finished in fifteen minutes. But that was the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. His khutbah would be short, concise, to the point, and then he would establish the salah and the people would leave. It is a prudent thing to do because the situation may well be coming where we cannot gather in large numbers for prolonged periods of time.

There will be other issues that affect us as Muslims. Funerals is one thing that may well be affected — if you are ill or self-isolating and someone in your family passes away, how to deal with that, how to wash the body and shroud the body. Those are things that we also need guidance for, but this is not the time and place to go into that in detail. All of these issues are rulings that we require as Muslims, and inshallah our masajid, our imams, and our institutions will give that guidance as and when appropriate.

Conclusion: Returning to Allah

I want to conclude by stressing and reaffirming the point that I began with: these are times in which we are more than ever in need of Allah's mercy and His forgiveness, and we are more than ever in need of understanding and knowing how fragile our state is.

"O people, you are the ones who are in need of Allah."

And Allah concludes that verse by mentioning two of His names and attributes. Number one, that Allah is free of all need — Allah is rich. Allah doesn't need our ibadah, and Allah doesn't need our Iman, and Allah doesn't need our du'a, our dhikr, or our tawbah. It is we who are in need of Allah. And number two, Allah gives us the solution — that He is Al-Hameed, worthy of all praise. So in these times we should praise Allah more, thank Allah more, turn to Allah more, and make du'a to Allah more, as was the practice of the prophets and of our Prophet ﷺ.

We ask Allah on this blessed day of Jumu'ah, from this blessed house of Allah, that Allah protects us and our families and our communities. That Allah cures those from amongst us who are ill and relieves the symptoms of those who are suffering. That Allah keeps our elders and the vulnerable amongst us safe. That Allah preserves us and our health, and that Allah relieves the situation and brings a cure to it.

We ask Allah that He showers His blessings, His mercy, and His forgiveness upon us as a community. We ask Allah that He allows us to use this test as a means of drawing closer to Him, as a means of strengthening our Iman, as a means of increasing in our ibadah — in our worship, our du'a, our dhikr.

We ask Allah that He does not make this test a means of shaking and weakening our Iman, of us becoming distanced from Him, or a means of Shaytan coming with his whisperings and his traps and making us people who divert away from the remembrance of Allah.

We ask Allah that He makes it a means of increasing us in our reward, elevating our ranks, and purifying and expiating our sins.