Avoid idle talk in the Masjid

Avoid idle talk in the Masjid

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

How should one behave, especially in a masjid, when the Adzān is being called? Are we allowed to talk worldly affairs while it is being called? Are we allowed to exchange "Salām" (greetings) while it is being called?

In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allāh, May Allāh blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

The Masjid is Allah’s House meant for worshipping and remembering Allah not for blameworthy deeds.

Allāh Says: “And the masajid are for Allāh (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allāh” [Al-Jinn, 72:18] 

Anās Ibn Mālik (radiallāhu`anhu) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘There will come a time when people will sit in circles in the mosques and they will have no concern except this world. Allah has no need of them so do not sit with them.’

[Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (4/359)]

Although it is not narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim, but Al-Dhahabi said in Al-Talkhis it is sahīh. It states the blameworthy deed is disliked, because masajid are Allah’s House for Dzikirullah, to conduct solāt and acts of worship and obedience to Him, such as I’tikaf (retreat, seclusion for devotion and worship), and different kinds of dzikirs such as circles for reciting Qur’ān and seeking knowledge.

Indeed there are ahadith that command us to repeat the words of the adzān after the muezzin, as a mustahabb deed, and to set an example of how one should behave when hearing the adzān. Some people neglected it, and missing out great rewards from Allah. What sort of hearts must they have?! The turned away from remembering Allah, and feel compelled to listen to the adzān.  A hadīth narrated from ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas (radiallāhu`anhu), who said that he heard the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) say:

“When any one of you hears the muezzin, let him say something like he says, then send blessings on me, for whoever sends blessings on me, Allah will send blessings tenfold on him. Then ask Allah to grant me al-wasilah, for it is a status in Paradise that only one of Allah’s slaves will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for al-wasilah for me, will be granted my intercession for him.”

[Sahih Muslim (384)]

There is nothing wrong with greeting of Salām and shaking hands, for these are acts of obedience to Allāh. There is no conflict between doing these things and responding to the muezzin, because a person may do all of these things at once.

We should beware of doing anything that may offend or disturb those who come to the mosque for worship. This includes disturbing those who are reading Qur’ān, praying or remembering Allāh in the masjid.

It is an evil deed (sayi’ah) to disturb the people in the masjid by talking about worldly affairs, because this is offensive to them and distracts Muslims from doing acts of worship properly. Disturbing others is not allowed, even if it takes the form of reading Qur’ān, more so if it takes other forms.

It is narrated by Ibn Shu’aib Al-Nasā’i in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra (5/32) under the heading Dzikir Qawl Al-Nabi (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam), Lā yajhar ba’dukam ‘ala ba’din fi’l-Qur’ān (Mentioning the statement of the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam), None of you should compete with one another in reciting Qur’an loudly), a report from Abu Hazim Al-Timar from Al-Bayadi, that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came out and found the people praying and reciting in loud voices; and he said:

“The one who is praying is conversing with his Lord, so let him think about what he is saying to Him. Do not compete with one another in reciting Qur’ān loudly.” 

[Al-Nasā’i]

Ibn Muhairiz (radiallāhu`anhu)  said: “Speaking in the masjid is idle talk, except for one who is praying, or remembering his Lord, or asking for help or giving help.”   [Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq, part 8, Babb Kalam ‘Ikrimah]

Ibn Al-Hāj said: “He should intend to avoid idle talk in the mosque or talking about that which does not concern him, for there is a report that says that speaking in the mosque about anything but the deeds of the Hereafter is like fire in dry wood, it eats up hasanāt (good deeds). So he should take care to avoid that, lest he goes out to engage in trade and comes back having lost everything because of his idle talk.”  [Al-Madkhal by Ibn al-Hāj, part 1, al-Sunnah fi’l-Mashiy ila’l-Masjid]

And Allah knows best.

[Via Islam Q&A (5074)]