Prayer is the reason for success and salvation in this world and the hereafter, and in order for a Muslim’s prayer to be accepted, he must perform it correctly and on time, as the Prophet, PBUH, used to do. A Muslim must learn about its pillars and duties, and he must also make sure that the place where he will pray is suitable for prayer. Therefore, Sheikh Saleh Academy answers this question in this article: can muslims pray in a church and other places of worship? With a mention of the places where prayer is forbidden.
Are Muslims allowed to enter the church?
Before answering the question: can muslims pray in a church? It is important to first know the ruling on entering a church, and this matter depends on several axes, including the purpose of entering the church.
If a Muslim is present in a church to show friendliness and tolerance, this is not correct because it may result in great corruption, especially when listening to lessons and lectures, because this is participation in their claim that Allah has a son. However, if entering the church is for the purpose of inviting non-Muslims to Islam, this is permissible as long as there is no temptation.
Scholars differed regarding entering a church for a Muslim. Some of them considered it forbidden, such as the Hanafis and Shafi’is, due to the presence of statues and pictures, while others considered it reprehensible, such as the Hanbalis. The evidence for this is from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
« وَعَدَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جِبْرِيلُ فَرَاثَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى اشْتَدَّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَقِيَهُ فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ مَا وَجَدَ فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّا لَا نَدْخُلُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُورَةٌ وَلَا كَلْبٌ».
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was expecting Jibril, but he was delayed until the Prophet felt distressed. He went out, met Jibril, and complained about what he had experienced. Jibril replied: “We do not enter a house that contains a picture or a dog.”
Can a church be used as a mosque?
To clarify the answer to the question, Can muslims pray in a church? We must know that a church can be converted into a mosque if necessary. This means that if the church is put up for sale and Muslims buy it, it can be converted into a mosque without demolishing the building, but it is necessary to remove the pictures, statues, and all prohibited manifestations of polytheism. The rows of the building must also be adjusted to match the Qiblah, and then Muslims can pray in it without the slightest problem.
If you are wondering Muslims pray where, most Muslim men pray the obligatory prayers in the mosque, but they can pray the Sunnah prayers at home. However, women pray all prayers at home because the reward for that is greater, and there is nothing wrong with them going out to the mosque if they are covered and in full Islamic dress.
Where can you not pray in Islam?
After knowing the answer to this question: Can muslims pray in a church? There are several places where it is absolutely not permissible to pray, and among the places where prayer is forbidden are the bathroom and places where there are large amounts of garbage, because they are impure, as well as the slaughterhouse and the cemetery.
It is also not permissible to pray in a mosque that was built on a grave, as the Prophet cursed those who took graves as mosques, and praying is disliked on the side of the road so that we do not affect the interests of people.
This is evident in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, PBUH
« الْأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا مَسْجِدٌ إِلَّا الْمَقْبَرَةَ وَالْحَمَّامَ»
“The entire earth is a mosque except for the graveyard and the bathhouse.”
Some people have this question in mind: why do Muslims face east while praying? Because a Muslim must pray in the direction of the Qiblah, which is the Grand Mosque in Mecca, so that his prayer is accepted.
But how many times a day do Islam pray? He prays about five basic obligatory prayers and sins if he does not pray them. He can pray other voluntary prayers such as the night prayer and the Duha prayer.
Muslim Prayer in Christian Sanctuaries
It is not permissible to pray in places where there are graves, nor is it valid to pray in places where there are statues and pictures, but it is permissible to pray in any clean and pure place.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said
«لَا تَدْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونُوا بَاكِينَ أَنْ يُصِيبَكُمْ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ ثُمَّ تَقَنَّعَ بِرِدَائِهِ وَهُوَ عَلَى الرَّحْلِ».
“Do not enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves unless you are weeping, lest you be afflicted by what befell them.” Then he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) covered himself with his cloak while on the mount.”
Why did Omar ibn-elkhatab pray outside the church in Jerusalem?
After clarifying this question: Can muslims pray in a church? Some people wonder about the reason for Omar ibn-elkhatab praying outside the church. Some have explained that Omar was afraid that Muslims would take this place as a mosque after him. Many scholars have weakened this narration and saw that the reason for Omar not praying in the church is due to the presence of statues and pictures in it.
Some new Muslims ask: can I pray in English Islam? It is important for a Muslim to be keen to learn how to pray in Arabic, especially Surat Al-Fatihah, because it is not valid without it.
But at the beginning, you can translate the supplications into English until you learn, and you can pray behind the imam until he explains to you how to pray as a Muslim if it is difficult for him.
Can Sadaqah be given to build a church?
It is not permissible in any way to use charity to build a church because that is a great sin because it helps in the spread of polytheism and disbelief.
إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَٰرِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۖ فَرِيضَةٗ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ.
Innamā ṣ-ṣadaqātu li-l-fuqarāʾi wa-l-masākīni wa-l-ʿāmilīna ʿalayhā wa-l-muʾallafati qulūbuhum wa-fī r-riqābi wa-l-ghārimīna wa-fī sabīli Llāhi wa-bni s-sabīli, farīḍatan mina Llāhi, wa-Llāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīmun.
“Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
(Surah At-Tawbah, 9:60)
Based on this, allocating charity money to works that contradict the Islamic faith, such as building churches, is considered an unlawful act, because charity is the right of the categories specified by Allah, and it is not permissible to direct it to what contradicts the Sharia.
Some people wonder: Did Jesus pray like a muslim? It is common even among Christians themselves that the prayer of Jesus PBUH is similar to the prayer of Muslims. The reason for this is that all the prophets, starting from Adam until the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, PBUH, are Muslims.
But how many times a day do Muslims pray during Ramadan? Although the number of Faridah prayers is five prayers, in Ramadan Muslims pray Tarawih after Isha, which is a confirmed Sunnah.
Are we allowed to pray for non-muslims when they die?
The answer to the question Can a Muslim Pray for a Non-Muslim? is that it is not permissible to pray for non-Muslims because Allah will not accept this prayer, and this is evident in the Almighty’s saying
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰ أَحَدٖ مِّنۡهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدٗا وَلَا تَقُمۡ عَلَىٰ قَبۡرِهِۦۖ إِنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمۡ فَٰسِقُونَ.
Wa-lā tuṣalli ʿalā aḥadin minhum māta abadan wa-lā taqum ʿalā qabrihi, innahum kafarū bi-Llāhi wa-rasūlihi wa-mātū wa-hum fāsiqūn.
“And do not pray [the funeral prayer] over any of them who dies ever, nor stand at their grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.”
(Surah At-Tawbah, 9:84
And this was for the hypocrites, so it is even more appropriate not to pray for the infidels because they associate partners with Allah. This answers the question Can you pray for a non-Muslim who dies? in a detailed and clear manner.
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