Covid-19 – Miscellaneous Questions
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
1) Can I give interest money to the NHS without expecting any reward?
It is permissible to donate interest money to the NHS without expecting any reward.
2) Can people participate in Janāzah Ṣalāh via zoom?
Iqtidāʾ requires the physical presence of a person, therefore, participating in a Janāzah Ṣalāh via zoom is not valid. If a close family member has passed away and a person is unable to participate in the Janāzah Ṣalāh due to self-isolation, they may observe the proceedings via zoom, however, they cannot participate in the Ṣalāh.
3) In the current circumstance, as the number of people who can perform Janāzah Ṣalāh is limited, can the absentee funeral prayer (Ṣalāt al-Gāib) be performed?
Ṣalāt al-Gāib is not established in the ḥanafī school, therefore it will not be performed. Followers of other schools of thought should consult their scholars.
4) During the lockdown, we are performing congregational Ṣalāh at home with our ladies and children. Sometimes the women perform their own Ṣalāh and do not wait for the congregation due to cooking and cleaning. What is the Islamic position on this?
Their Ṣalāh is valid. However, if they are busy cleaning and cooking, you should adjust the timings so they can also partake in the congregational Ṣalāh and attain its reward and benefits. If for some reason this is not possible, their Ṣalāh is valid irrespective.
5) If a maḥram female verbally corrects the Imam in a congregation which also has non-Maḥram males, is the Ṣalāh valid?
The Ṣalāh is valid. However, she should avoid correcting the Imam verbally in the presence of non-Maḥram men. If necessary, she should do taṣfīq (tap right hand on left hand) to alert the Imam.
6) If a wife mistakenly touches the husband’s feet whilst performing Ṣalāh together, will this affect the validity of their Ṣalāh?
Their Ṣalāh is valid (see Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 513; Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 166).
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
24 Ramadan 1441 / 17 May 2020
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmad and Mufti Muhammad Tahir
(For other Q&As & articles regarding Coronavirus, click here)