Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

What if in the middle of a namaz a person`s mobile rings? what should he do? This bothers me because i think during the time of Prophe (saws) there was no mobile so how can there be an answer in the quran and hadiths.

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Answer:

Mobile phone rings in prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: This bothers me because i think during the time of Prophe (saws) there was no mobile so how can there be an answer in the quran and hadiths. 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3585 Narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) intended to send Mu'adh ibn Jabal to the Yemen, he (saws) asked: ‘How will you judge when the occasion of deciding a case arises?’ He replied: ‘I shall judge in accordance with Allah's Book.’ The Prophet (saws) asked: ‘(What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in Allah's Book?’ He replied: ‘(I shall act) in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).’ The Prophet (saws) asked: ‘(What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) or in Allah's Book?’ He replied: ‘I shall do my best to form an opinion (in light of the guidance of the Book and the Sunnah) and I shall spare no effort.’ The Messenger of Allah (saws) then patted him (Muadh ibn Jabal (r.a.)) on the breast and said: ‘Praise be to Allah Who has helped the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to find something which pleases the Messenger of Allah!’

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, for absolutely everything that relates to the subject of guidance to the Straight Path, without an iota of a doubt, it finds detailed mention in the Quran and the Sunnah.

Due to the natural advancements of time, and the developments of inventions and technology by man after the advent of the Glorious Quran, several such things or products which are available amongst us today obviously do not find mention in the Book and the Sunnah (example, planes, rockets, radio, television, air-travel, computers, internet, mobile phones, etc., etc.).

Thus it becomes the responsibility of the learned scholars and jurists in Islam to strive to form an opinion regarding the limitations of permissibility or impermissibility of the usage of such products, in light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah.

Thus in Islamic Jurisprudence several processes are formed and used by the learned jurists to derive a solution on a matter where they find no mention in the Book and the Sunnah. Two amongst such processes are:

1. Ijtehad
2. Qiyaas

Ref: Ijtehaad

The literal meaning of Ijtehaad is derived from the root word ‘jehad’ or striving, to find a solution in light of the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

Ijtehaad is the process where the scholars of Islam strive to find a solution to an issue on which the Quran and Sunnah are silent. For example an issue of the modern times is : ‘is it legal to pull off the life-support system of a brain-dead declared person?’.

Because it is a new development of modern technology, the Quran and Sunnah are obviously silent on the issue. Thus the respected scholars of Islam must do ‘ijtehaad’ and derive a ruling whether such a thing is permissible or impermissible in Islam, in light of the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

Ref: Qiyaas

Qiyaas is a term used when determining the ‘root-cause’ of the process to do Ijtehaad. Qiyaas is a process whereby a clear ruling of the permissibility or impermissibility of an act or thing is applied to an issue closest related to it. For example, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared ‘khamr’ (wine, alcohol, etc.) haraam. Now if someone were to ask for a ruling on the usage of marijuana, the scholars of Islam would do Qiyaas and determine the root cause of the haraam of ‘khamr’ is its intoxication; thus all things that intoxicate would be considered haraam. Because the usage of marijuana intoxicates, it too would be considered haraam.

Your Question: What if in the middle of a namaz a person`s mobile rings? what should he do?

First and foremost, a believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, must honor the sanctity of the Houses of Allah, and strive to do everything in his power never ever to disturb the concentration of his believing brethren who are worshipping their Lord in the Masaajids; thus it would only be akin to piety, that the believers either not take their mobile phones with them in the masjids, and if for any reason they have to, they must switch their mobiles to the ‘silent’ mode.

But unfortunately one forgets, and the mobile phone rings aloud when one is in engaged in prayer or in congregation, the scholars are of the opinion that there is absolutely no harm, if one in prayer reaches for his mobile phone and cancels the call or disconnects the mobile phone, and continues his prayer.

The opinion of the scholars is based (Qiyaas) on the allowance in Shariah Law which allows a believer engaged in prayer to make slight movements for a necessary or genuine cause like:

1. when there is a gap in the rows on the side or in front, the believer is allowed to move while in prayer and fill those gaps.
2. when one’s infant child is crying or causing disturbance and craves attention while its parent is engaged in prayer, one may pick up the child in one’s arms without breaking one’s prayer.

Similarly if one’s mobile phone rings when one is engaged in prayer, the scholars are of the opinion that there is no harm in making the necessary minimum movements to dis-engage the phone-call without breaking one’s prayer.

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan