Why Don't Muslims Pray Friday because of Covid-19?

Assalam wr alaikum wr. wb. The editor of NU Online, the mosque management, is urged by the government to temporarily stop Friday prayers, congregation and all forms of warnings involving many worshipers in order to prevent the spread of the corona virus in Indonesia.

The question

then, does this situation abort Muslim Muslims' Friday prayer obligations? While some mosque administrators still hold Friday prayers without adequate protection and safety standards. Explanation please. thanks. Wassalamu ‘alaikum wr. wb. (Munawar / Jakarta)

Answer Assalamu aik alaikum wr. wb.

Dear Questioner, may Allah SWT send His mercy to us all. as we know, Friday prayer is an obligation that is ordered in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Jumu’ah. Ulama then discussed those affected by Friday prayer obligations, namely men, baligh, aqil, merdeka, local residents, and so on. Apart from the obligation, Friday prayers contain virtue. In it there is a mustajabah time. However, in a general or collective aging situation such as the Covid-19 outbreak that plagued Indonesia in 2020, the Friday prayer obligation was canceled. Imam An-Nawawi began the discussion of this issue from his view of prayer in congregation because the Friday prayer and prayer in congregation have in common, which is done collectively. According to him, the old age is divided into two, general that is collective-objective and specific, which is individual-subjective.

فصل لا رخصة في ترك الجماعة سواء قلنا سنة أو فرض كفاية إلا من عذر عام أو خاص فمن العام المطر ليلا كان أو نهارا ومنه الريح العاصفة في الليل دون النهار وبعض الأصحاب يقول الريح العاصفة في الليلة المظلمة وليس ذلك على سبيل اشتراط الظلمة ومنه الوحل الشديد وسيأتي في الجمعة إن شاء الله تعالى

It means, "Fasal. There is no rukhshah (lightness) in leaving prayer in congregation - whether he is punished by the sunnah or sentenced to fardhu kifayah - except because of general aging and special aging. One common old age is rain both night and day. Another common day wind storm at night, not during the day. Some scholars of the Shafi'i School, stormy winds on a very dark night even though it is not a road requires darkness. Another common day is rain which, God willing, will be explained in Chapter Friday, "(Imam An-Nawawi, Raudhatut Thalibin wa Umadatul Muftiyyin, [Beirut, Darul Fikr: 2005 M / 1425-1426 H] juz I, page 342).

According to Imam An-Nawawi, seniors who can abort congregational prayers can also abort Friday prayer obligations either general or special. He also brought various views of Shafi'i scholars regarding the position of muddy ground as an old man.

فرع كل ما أمكن تصوره في الجمعة من الأعذار المرخصة في ترك الجماعة يرخص في ترك الجمعة أما الوحل الشديد ففيه ثلاثة أوجه الصحيح أنه عذر في ترك الجمعة والجماعة والثاني لا والثالث في الجماعة دون الجمعة حكاه صاحب العدة وقال به أفتى أئمة طبرستان

It means, "One branch of the problem. Any type of senescence which relieves (allows someone) to leave prayers in congregation - which might also be imagined in the case of Friday prayers - can be an elderly person that relieves him from leaving Friday prayers. As for the matter (uzur) of very muddy land, there are three opinions of scholars. First, this is the opinion of the authentic muddy land which is an old age in leaving Friday and praying in congregation. Second, he is not senile (due to the failure of Friday and congregation obligations). Third, he is only elderly to leave the congregational prayer, not on Friday, as the writer of the Book of Al-Uddah said. This opinion was also held and became the fatwa of the Thabaristan cleric, "(An-Nawawi, 2005 M / 1425-1426 H: I / 426).

The Shafi'ite School's view, as An-Nawawi's statement follows, states that rain and other causes can become senile who can abort Friday prayer obligations. This view was put forward when he elaborated on (narration) the hadith of Muslim history.

وفي هذا الحديث دليل على سقوط الجمعة بعذر المطر ونحوه وهو مذهبنا ومذهب آخرين وعن مالك رحمه الله تعالول و

It means, "In this hadith there is an argument for the failure (obligation to pray) Friday because of the rain and other elderly. This is the view of our school (Shafi'i) and other schools.

But other narrations mention that Imam Malik rahimahullah has a different view. Allah knows best bis shawab, "(Imam An-Nawawi, Shaharah Muslim Sahih, [Cairo, Darul Hadith: 2001 M / 1422 H], juz III, page 225). The following is one of the excerpts of the hadith narration of Imam Muslim from a friend of Ibn Abbas RA, which was presented by Imam An-Nawawi as an argument for the failure of Friday prayer obligations:

عن عبد الله بن عباس أنه قال لمؤذنه في يوم مطير إذا قلت أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله فلا تقل حي على الصلاة قل صلوا في بيوتكم قال فكأن الناس استنكروا ذاك فقال أتعجبون من ذا قد فعل ذا من هو خير مني إن الْجُمُعَةَ عَزْمَةٌ وَإِنِّي كَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُحْرِجَكُمْ فَتَمْشُوا فِي الطِّينِ وَالدَّحْضِ

It means, "From Ibn Abbas RA, he said to his muezzin on a rainy day, 'If you have read' Asyhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu, asyhadu anna muhammadan rasūlullāh, 'do not you continue with the cry of' hayya 'alas shalāh,' but cried 'shallūrūh. fi buyūtikum. '' People seem to deny the command of Ibn Abbas RA. He then said, ‘Are you surprised by this problem? Even though this has been done by someone better than me. Really Friday is mandatory. But I don't like to trouble you so you walk on the ground and it is slippery. '(Muslim HR).

Hopefully some of this information answers the doubts of some people, especially mosque officials. We hope they will be able to understand and comprehend the government's appeal which is of common interest in the context of preventing and eradicating Covid-19 in Indonesia by temporarily stopping joint rituals in houses of worship, namely Friday prayers, congregational prayers, grand tablighs, haul, etc. in the middle critical situation like this. Thus our short answer. Hopefully it can be understood properly. We are always open in accepting criticism and suggestions from readers.

Source: https://islam.nu.or.id/