Question

Asalaamualaykum I hope you are well. I am volunteering for my local masjid. We have a few individuals who refuse to wear a mask and bring a pray mat with them. They have been told several times but they for some reason still refuse.
They say stuff like we don’t need to wear it, it’s all kufar rules etc, have trust in Allah.
Can we refuse entry to them because other are seeing and copying.
Is protective measure against trust in Allah?
Should we be doing this?

Please kindly guide us to the path of moderation.
Jazkallah khair

Answer

This is a very good question. In fact, our beloved Prophet ﷺ was asked the exact same thing. The Prophet ﷺ was once asked: “O Messenger of Allah, do you think that the ruqyah we use, the medicine we use, and what we seek to protect ourselves will contradict anything from Allah’s Decree?” He said: “They are from Allah’s Decree”.”[1]

We would consider a person foolish if they were to walk into the cold with a t-shirt proclaiming that they trust in Allah. As a belief this is correct, but Allah has provided us with preventative and precautionary measures to employ to keep us protected – du’as, ruqya, medicine and so forth all fall within this category.

Would a person “have trust in Allah” and leave their house door open? As humans, we are tasked with calling Allah for help, doing the actions that are within our means and then relying upon Allah. One cannot sit at home and think that he can rely on Allah to fulfill the financial needs of his family – one must seek out his provisions in work. It is the same principle here.

I am certain that these brothers are not “acting” because they have trust in Allah as their actions outside of this exchange will contradict this. They would take medicine, they would wear coats and jumpers in cold weather, they would go to work to seek out a livelihood. This difficult exchange boils down to their distrust in the government guidelines, not a superior sense of trust in Allah (tawakkul).

I end with a very famous hadith regarding tying one’s camel: Anas bin Malik narrated that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely (upon Allah), or leave it loose and rely (upon Allah)?” He said: “Tie it and rely (upon Allah)”.[2]

[1]              جامع الترمذي (حديث 2065)  حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي خُزَامَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رُقًى نَسْتَرْقِيهَا وَدَوَاءً نَتَدَاوَى بِهِ وَتُقَاةً نَتَّقِيهَا هَلْ تَرُدُّ مِنْ قَدَرِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا قَالَ ‏ “‏ هِيَ مِنْ قَدَرِ اللَّهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

[2]              جامع الترمذي (حديث 2517)  حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَفْصٍ، عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ أَبِي قُرَّةَ السَّدُوسِيُّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَعْقِلُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ أَوْ أُطْلِقُهَا وَأَتَوَكَّلُ قَالَ ‏ “‏ اعْقِلْهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ يَحْيَى وَهَذَا عِنْدِي حَدِيثٌ مُنْكَرٌ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَنَسٍ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ الضَّمْرِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوُ هَذَا ‏.‏

Answered by:
Maulana Ikramul Hoque Miah

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel