Ruling on offering Jumu‘ah prayer in a church where there are images or statues.,Dought & clear,-

working in UK. We muslim doctors are usually at work during Juma
prayer time. Hence often it UK doctors at work offer Juma prayer in
small rooms which areeither Multifaith rooms(where people from all
faith can pray, ofter idols are kept in these rooms which are covered
during Juma prayer) or in dedicated muslim prayer rooms. In my
hospital there is a dedicated muslim prayerroom where we offer prayer
regularly at least for day time prayers, butstill as this room is
small, we offer Juma on the side in the church to be able to
accomodate the large no of doctros attending Juma prayer. My question
is, is Juma Valid in such all the above different places mentioned
above. One of my acquaintence comented that, Juma is only valid in a
place where all five daily prayers are being offered in congregation.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to pray in a church if there are no images or statues in it.
Al-Bukhaari included a chapter in his Saheeh which he entitled:
Chapter on praying in a "chapel". 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: We will not enter your churches because of the images
inthem. Ibn 'Abbaas wouldpray in a "chapel" excepta "chapel" in which
there were statues. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Chapter on praying in "chapels"; a "chapel" is aplace of worship for
Christians. The author of al-Muhkam said: The "chapel" is the cell of
themonk, or, it was said, thechurch of the Christians, and the latter
is the reliable view. The ruling on "chapels" also appliesto churches,
synagogues,hermits' cells, temples in which there are idols, fire
temples and so on. End quote.
If there are images or statues in it, the fuqaha' differed concerning
the ruling on praying there in that case. Some of them are of the view
that it is haraam, but themajority are of the view that it is makrooh.
The reason given by those who regard it as haraamis the general
meaning of the evidence which indicates that statues and keeping them
are haraam, because the presence of these images prevents the angels
from entering that place.
Al-Bukhaari (3225) and Muslim (2106) narrated from Abu Talhah that
theProphet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The
angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image."
Al-Tirmidhi (2806) and Abu Dawood (4158) narrated that Abu Hurayrah
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Jibreel came to me and said: 'I was going to come to you
yesterday and nothing prevented me from entering upon you in the house
where you were except that at the door of the house there was a statue
of a man, and in the house there was a curtain on which there were
images, and in the housethere was a dog. So give instructions that the
head of the statue at thedoor should be cut off, so that it will look
like a tree. And give instructions that the curtain should be cut up
and made into two pillows that will be placed on the ground and
stepped on. And issue instructions that the dog be put outside.'"So
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did
that. And the dog was a puppy belonging to al-Hasan oral-Husayn that
was under a bed, and he gave instructions that it should be taken
outside.
This hadeeth was classedas saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 68.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is nothing
wrong with praying in a church that is clean. That was allowed by
al-Hasan, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez, al-Sha'bi, al-Awzaa'i, andSa'eed
ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez. It was also narrated from 'Umar andAbu Moosa. Ibn
'Abbaas and Maalik regarded churches as makrooh because of the images.
But we know that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) prayed at the Ka'bah when there wereimages in it. It is also
included in the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): "Wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, pray, for
it [the earth] is a place of prayer."
End quote from al-Mughni, 1/407
Among those who were of the view that it is haraam to pray in a church
if there are images in it was Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah
have mercy on him). See: al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 2/59
The prohibition on praying in churches doesnot mean that such a prayer
is invalid; rather the prayer is valid although it involves sin,
because the reason why praying in churches is not allowed does not
have to do with the prayer; rather it is because of the images inthose
places, as stated above. So the reason for the prohibition is
different from the prayer and other matters pertaining to it.
The Standing Committee and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy
on him) issued fatwas stating that it is makrooh to pray in a place in
which there are images, but the prayer is valid if that takes place.
In Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (5/377) [vol. 2] it says: What is the
ruling on praying in the house or room in which there are statues of
animals or humans for decoration?
Answer: It is haraam to keep images or statues and put them in houses,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "Do not leave any image without
erasing it or anybuilt-up grave without levelling it." And becausehe
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The angels do not
enter a house in which there is a dog or an image." It is makrooh to
pray in a room in which there are pictures hanging or statues,
especially if they are in front of the person when he faces the
qiblah. But the prayer is valid.
And Allah is the source ofstrength. May Allah send blessings and peace
upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Bakr Abu Zayd, 'Abd al-'Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan,
'Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan,'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi, 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn
'Abd-Allah ibn Baaz. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:… As for
theprayer, it is valid, but it is makrooh to pray in a place in which
there are images except in the case of necessity; if nothing else is
available,then there is nothing wrong with it. End quote.
To sum up:
1. There is nothing wrong with praying inside the church if it is
free of images and statues, whether that is Jumu'ah prayer or any
other prayer.
2. It is makrooh to pray in a church if there are images or
statues in it. If the Muslims need to pray there because thereis no
other place available, and they coverthese statues with something that
will conceal them, there is nothing wrong with it and it is not
makrooh.
And Allah knows best.