Clarifying the Stance of Germantown Masjid Philadelphia PA
Dear Muslims,
Due to the recent events that have devastated the city of Philadelphia we, at Germantown Masjid, feel that it would be most beneficial to the Muslim community and the city of Philadelphia to make an official statement clarifying our position on the recent events that have affected our city. The reason this clarification is being offered is to put to rest any concerns about or misunderstandings regarding the position taken by Germantown Masjid with respect to the recent armed robbery and subsequent janaaza (funeral prayer & burial services) of Howard Cain. Mr. Cain was killed by Philadelphia police on May 4, 2008, after an armed robbery which also resulted in the murder of Philadelphia police officer Stephen Liczbinski.
Due to the violent nature of the actions which caused Mr. Cain’s death, the administration of Germantown Masjid decided that the most appropriate thing to due would be for the janaaza services not to be performed at Germantown Masjid. We decided that it was best that we distance ourselves, and all the Muslims that are a part of this community, from these acts of violence and we did not want any indication that we condoned this type of behavior. The actions of Mr. Cain, at the time of his death, and his cohorts are not Islamic behavior and should be condemned by any and every Muslim in Philadelphia, as well as around the world. These men dressed up like Muslim women, went in a crowded grocery store in broad daylight with weapons, with the intent of robbing a bank. Their actions, subsequently, lead to the murder of a Philadelphia police office. All of these actions, by themselves, are deplorable by Islamic law.
After Mr. Cain was killed, his family contacted us to perform a proper Muslim burial service (janaaza). He was known to be a Muslim and certainly had the right of a Muslim burial. However, we declined to hold his janaaza at Germantown Masjid. We did, offer to talk the family thru all of the rights and rituals associated with a proper Muslim burial. However, we did not hear back from the family after we declined to conduct the burial services. The decision was not politically motivated but rather done to make it absolutely clear that we do not condone this type of behavior. The religious evidence supporting this decision is overwhelming and although we declined to perform the funeral prayer, we would like to say that Mr. Cain was washed, shrouded, prayed over and buried, therefore the obligation of a Muslim burial was fulfilled.
In support of our decision we offer the following:
The Prophet, sallalahu ‘alayhi wa’assallam, did not pray over those who died while in debt, or those who committed major sins, i.e. suicide, murder etc, as an indication of His disapproval of the commission of such acts. see below:
Faatawa Showing the Permissibility of People of Authority and Leadership Not Praying Over Someone Whose Behavior was Unlawful, Impermissible, or Disliked, Even if That Behavior Did Not Exit That Person Out of the Fold of IslamQuestion:
Can one who killed himself be washed and the (funeral) prayer offered
over him?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
A person who has killed himself should be washed, prayed over and
buried with the Muslims, because he is a sinner but he is not a
kaafir. Killing oneself is a sin but it is not kufr. If he killed
himself – we seek refuge with Allah – he should be washed, shrouded
and prayed over, but the khaleefah and important people should not
pray for him, by way of rebuke, lest anyone think that they
approve of
what he did. If the khaleefah, ruler, judges, president or mayor do
not pray over him in order to denounce this action and announce that
it is wrong, then this is good, but some of the Muslims should still
offer the (funeral) prayer for him.Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh
`Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allah ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)
– vol. 13, p. 122
Question:Is it permissible to offer the funeral prayer for one who committed suicide?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah.
Killing oneself is a major sin, and there are stern warnings addressed to the one who does that, but it does not put one beyond the pale of Islam. In the Sunnah it shows that it is permissible for ordinary people to offer the funeral prayer for one who commits suicide, but it is prescribed for the elite, such as scholars and prominent figures, not to offer the funeral prayer for him, as a rebuke and so as to deter others from doing likewise. It was narrated that Jaabir ibn Samurah said: A man who had killed himself with a broad, sharp-edged arrow was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he did not offer the funeral prayer for him. Narrated by Muslim (978).
Al-Nawawi said:
The scholars said: this hadeeth is to be understood as a deterrent to suicide, just as he did not offer the funeral prayer for one who was in debt, but the Sahaabah offered the funeral prayer for the debtor on the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). That was in order to deter others from getting into debt, not because he was a kaafir. According to Maalik it is makrooh to offer the funeral prayer for one who has been stoned to death as a hadd punishment, and one who was immoral, as an expression of disapproval. (Sharh Muslim, 7/47)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about a man who claimed to be a holy man, then he saw a snake and some of the people wanted to kill it, but he stopped them, then he picked up the snake trying to do a miraculous deed, but the snake bit him and he died. Is it permissible to offer the funeral prayer for him or not?
He replied:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. The scholars and people who are religiously committed should not pray for this man and others like him, but the ordinary people should pray for him, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) refrained from praying for a man who had committed suicide, and one who had stolen from the war-booty, but he said: “Pray for your companion.” They said to Samurah ibn Jundub: “Your son did not sleep last night.” He said, “Was it because he ate too much?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “If he had died I would not have prayed for him.” Samurah explained that if he died because he had eaten too much, he would not pray for him, because he would have killed himself by eating too much. And it is more appropriate that the scholars and those who are religiously- committed should refrain from offering the funeral prayer for this man who prevented others from killing the snake, and held it in his hand until it killed him, because he killed himself. (Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 3/20, 21)
Shaykh al-Islam also said:
If a person refrains from praying for one of them – i.e., the one who stole from the war-booty, the one who killed himself and the debtor – as a deterrent to others from doing likewise, then that is good. But if he refrains from praying for him in public but makes du’aa’ for him in private, then he will achieve two ends, which is better than omitting one of them. (Al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-‘Ilmiyyah, p. 52)
As demonstrated above, our actions were consistent with the view of the Messenger of Allah, sallahu alaihi was salam, his companions, and the scholars of the Sunnah in disapproving of, not only, the actions committed by our brother at the time of his death, but also of the danger and scrutiny that was created for our community as a whole and particularly the muslimaat (Muslim women), as a result of his actions.
In sum, in making our decision, we did not prevent, dissuade, discourage, or represent that our brother should not be washed, shrouded, prayed over and buried as a Muslim. In fact, our decision and actions were based strictly on following the commandment of enjoining good and forbidding evil, being just, first and foremost in front of Allah subhanaa wa taa’aalaa, as well as to ourselves, our community and our neighbors. As well as adhering and wholeheartedly submitting to the fact that in Islam protecting the rights and safety of the ummah (community) as a whole is paramount and in the best interest of all Muslims. Germantown Masjid takes a firm stand against crime in general, not just the actions in this particular instance.
We pray to Allah subhanaa wa ta’aalaa, that the decision we made was correct and sincere in seeking his pleasure. Ameen.
Inshaa`Allah this statement offers clarification on these matters and will ease any concerns our ummah may have regarding this issue.
Wasalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallah,
Tariq El-Shabazz
Managing Director, Germantown Masjid