Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Badat
Question:
How do masjids accommodate for people who want to come into the Masjid with wheelchairs from outside. The issue is the carpet getting dirty.
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathabah Institute.
It should be noted that the wheels of the wheelchairs are considered clean unless there are evident impurities on them by seeing or smelling actual filthiness. The wheels take the rulings of khuffs and na’alayn (socks and sandals). The ruling for them is to wipe any impurities off when seen on them prior to prayer. A mere assumption of impurities does not constitute things being impure. Impurities can only be certain if you can clearly smell, feel and or see the impurity with absolute certainty. – (See: Rad Al- Muḥtār, Vol 6, Page 733, Vol 1, Page 188, Dār Al-Fikr, Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhīyyah, Page 15, Dār Al-Tirmidhī)
Every masjid can easily accommodate persons with disabilities who use wheel-chairs by doing some or all of the following as well:
- Have appointed persons (volunteers or admin staff) who wipe down the wheels of the wheelchairs.
- Designate a specific space in the masjid for persons who use wheelchairs. This space can have tiles or an easily wipeable surface.
“When any of you comes to the masjid, they should see; if they find impurities on their sandals, they should wipe that off and thereafter can pray in them.” – (Sunan Abū Dāwūd 650)
Only Allāh knows best
إذَا ظَهَرَ فِي الثَّوْبِ الطَّاهِرِ أَثَرُ النَّجَاسَةِ مِنْ لَوْنٍ أَوْ طَعْمٍ أَوْ رِيحٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَتَنَجَّسُ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٦/ ص٧٣٣ دارالفكر
قَوْلُهُ فَلَوْ فِيهِ جِيفَةٌ إلَخْ أَشَارَ إلَى مَا قَدَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ شُمُولِ النَّجَاسَةِ الْمَرْئِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهَا فَيُعْتَبَرُ ظُهُورُ الْأَثَرِ فِي كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج١/ ص١٨٨ دارالفكر
اليقين لا يزول بالشك – القواعد الفقهية ص١٥ دارالترمذي
إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ فَإِنْ رَأَى فِي نَعْلَيْهِ قَذَرًا أَوْ أَذًى فَلْيَمْسَحْهُ وَلْيُصَلِّ فِيهِمَا – رواه أبو داؤد ٦٥٠