Visiting family

[DanyalSAC]

Asalaamu alaikum -

I spent all day yesterday driving from Sacramento California to the foothills of Mt Rainier in the state of WA to visit my family. My mother identifies as Native American as does her husband.

Her house is practically a museum of Native art - statues, dolls, paintings, drawings...every inch of the walls has some art on it, every shelf has some statue or bust... As uncomfortable as I am around this stuff, I'm here for my mother.

My concern is my salaat. She has graciously allowed me to perform my salaat at any spot in her house I wish, however every spot has some thing looking down at me from the walls. Currently the weather is good inshallah so when the time comes for dhuhr/asr (I combine as I am a traveler) I will do it out on her porch... but as this is the Pacific Northwest and it does rain constantly, if I have to come back inside will I be permitted to pray in a house full of these idols?

JazakAllah khairyn in advance
D.

 

[ProudToBeaMuslim]

Asalaamu alaikum -

I spent all day yesterday driving from Sacramento California to the foothills of Mt Rainier in the state of WA to visit my family. My mother identifies as Native American as does her husband.

Her house is practically a museum of Native art - statues, dolls, paintings, drawings...every inch of the walls has some art on it, every shelf has some statue or bust... As uncomfortable as I am around this stuff, I'm here for my mother.

My concern is my salaat. She has graciously allowed me to perform my salaat at any spot in her house I wish, however every spot has some thing looking down at me from the walls. Currently the weather is good inshallah so when the time comes for dhuhr/asr (I combine as I am a traveler) I will do it out on her porch... but as this is the Pacific Northwest and it does rain constantly, if I have to come back inside will I be permitted to pray in a house full of these idols?

JazakAllah khairyn in advance
D.

Salaam, I don remember the exact source, but there was a narration about Umar R.A Praying in front of an idol because he had no choice.

I'll be back after a bit of research.

Edit:
Looks like somebody else on TTI had a similar doubt, that too, just yesterday =]
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?p=447272

 

[arzafar]

basically no idol should be present inside the room. do you have a separate room? what about kitchen, garage, basement, corridor, closet?

 

[Waseem203]

Maybe you could ask her to move them out of a particular room that you can pray in?

 

[DanyalSAC]

basically no idol should be present inside the room. do you have a separate room? what about kitchen, garage, basement, corridor, closet?

Even the guest room is wall papered with pictures. No basement, as this is a mountain house... the kitchen also has statues in it. I am not exaggerating when I say every spot in this house has SOMEthing in it.

However the patio doesn't (I don't think, I've not examined it closely), and it is covered though it is damp and cold.

 

[miq1]

Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).


It may be the case that you can place the back of a chair in front of you and pray behind it. This way it will serve as a barrier between you and the images on the walls. Similar to praying behind a barrier and when people pass in front of it, it does not effect the prayer. This may be a permissible alternative and Allah (The Exalted) Knows Best.

 

[Maha*]

If you are out of options, you may pray with your eyes closed. Sorry I can't provide reference, I'm in a bit of a hurry. And Allah knows best. May Allah accept your prayer inshaa Allah.

 

[miq1]

Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).


I have looked into the information I gave you and it is the correct option to resort to. There was also a situation with the first Muslims that some of them wanted to avoid a certain area during the Hajj because it had statues of idols. However, Allah (The Exalted) told them to complete all of the rites of the Hajj and simply ignore the idols and that He knows the intention in their hearts. There is a Qur'anic verse stating as such for this situation.

Also, it is not permissible to pray with the eyes closed.


And Allah (The Exalted) Knows Best.

 

[Waseem203]

You can pray like that if it helps you concentrate, which in this case it clearly would.

 

[Munawar]

:salam2:
Brother our prophet Mohammad (PBUH) prayed in Kaaba until he was 53 years old i.e. 13 years after He got the prophethood when Kaaba was full of idols. There were about 365 idols which the Makkan pagans used to worship and in the middle of it our Prophet prayed to Allah, and I think our Prophet's followers also used to pray salaat in Kaaba among those idols.

If you have no other choice then Allah is more knowledgeable than any human can ever be. Meaning... Allah knows your situation better than even yourself. And Allah knows what is in your heart. So pray salaat.

If you get permission from your mother than you can put a sheet of cloth on those statues before praying. If she doesn't allow then still you can pray.

It is better if they see you praying, maybe they get curious and learn about Islam.

Do your best to give dawah to them. If it is Allah's will then you will succeed. InshaAllah.

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

You can pray like that if it helps you concentrate, which in this case it clearly would.

:salam2:

The brother has to look down to the spot of sujood.

The statues wouldn't be placed where he is making sujood, now would it ? Also, there is a good suggestion that some of the statues could be covered with some sheets of cloth.

As for closing eyes, it helps you to snooze not concentrate.

Wasalaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi

 

[Waseem203]

I was talking about closing the eyes all along. If he doesn't see the idols, they wont be as big of a deal. I close my eyes while praying at school so I dont get distracted by people walking down the halls.

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

I was talking about closing the eyes all along. If he doesn't see the idols, they wont be as big of a deal. I close my eyes while praying at school so I dont get distracted by people walking down the halls.

:salam2:

What about is the musallah or masjid, when people are walking across in all directions ?

Closing your eyes is not the solution, rather it is concentrating on your salah and not letting your eyes wander. Btw I was talking about the entire salah, not a portion of it ! We should be looking/gazing at the place of prostration during salah.

If the brother uses a chair or other object as a sutrah, then I can't think of any other distraction.

 

[Maha*]

Imaam al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam said in his fatwas that it is permissible when necessary, if that helps the worshipper to focus more fully on his prayer. Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zaad al-Ma’aad that if a man can focus more fully on his prayer by opening his eyes, then it is better to do so. If he can focus more fully by closing his eyes because there are things that may distract him from his prayer, such as adornments and decorations, then it is not makrooh at all and the view that in this case it is mustahabb for him to close his eyes is closer to the aims and principles of sharee’ah than saying that it is makrooh. (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/283).

Source

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

The same fatwa also states

The scholars are agreed that it is makrooh to close the eyes for no reason when praying. The author of al-Rawd stated that it is makrooh because this is what the Jews do. (al-Rawd al-Murabba’, 1/95). The authors of Manaar al-Sabeel and al-Kaafi stated likewise, and added that it looks as if the person is asleep. (Manaar al-Sabeel, 1/66; al-Kaafi, 1/285). The author of al-Iqnaa’ stated that it is makrooh unless there is a reason for doing so, such as fear of seeing something one should not be looking at whilst praying, such as seeing one’s concubine or wife, or a non-mahram woman, naked. (al-Iqnaa’, 1/127; al-Mughni, 2/30).

 

[yasak80]

Brother :mashallah: to you


Like in yr situation front of you is important make set with something in front of you.


Inshaallah Allah (swt) give you a good reward for yr sincere effort ..

 

[DanyalSAC]

The room she's assigned me to sleep in is very small, with enough room to fit my prayer rug on the floor at the foot of the bed. Luckily I can position it facing the qibla. I can keep my eyes down, the statues and pictures don't really distract me as I am accustomed to them. But thank you for everyone's input. JazakAllah khairyn.

 

[Waseem203]

:salam2:

What about is the musallah or masjid, when people are walking across in all directions ?

Closing your eyes is not the solution, rather it is concentrating on your salah and not letting your eyes wander. Btw I was talking about the entire salah, not a portion of it ! We should be looking/gazing at the place of prostration during salah.

If the brother uses a chair or other object as a sutrah, then I can't think of any other distraction.

:salam2:

The difference between a mosque and school is that the people there don't give you weird looks when they see you praying