Our Shaykh Abu Bilaal Al-Hadhramy- may Allah preserve him- was asked the following question on 17th Rajab1441( 12th March 2020):
The Questioner says : Is it permissible not to attend the obligatory congregational prayers due to fear of the corona virus?
Answer:
Yes, it is OK not to attend if this virus has spread genuinely and on a large scale whereby leaving the home is dangerous.
It is unacceptable for a person to place himself in harms way and expose himself to the virus. Rather, he prays in his home and remains therein. He must not leave if he is likely to get infected.
For indeed, Islamic Law has authorised absence from the obligatory congregational prayers for reasons that are less than what has been mentioned.
This is permitted either:
1. If he is going to harm someone else
2. If he himself is going to be harmed.
(For example) If he eats garlic or an onion he will harm someone else; therefore he cannot attend. [1]
(Similarly) if he fears for his life due to an attacker that has threatened to kill him and is lying in wait, it is OK not to attend the obligatory congregational prayers. This is also the case for this aggressive virus.
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[1] [” مَنْ أَكَلَ الْبَصَلَ وَالثُّومَ وَالْكُرَّاثَ فَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّ مَسْجِدَنَا، فَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَتَأَذَّى مِمَّا يَتَأَذَّى مِنْهُ بَنُو آدَمَ “]
Whoever eats onion and garlic and leek, cannot come near our masjid. For indeed, the angels are harmed by what harms the children of Adam.
Narrated by Jaabir ibn Abdul Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Muslim: 546
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Translated by: Abu Sufyaan Saami ibn Daniel Al-Ghaani