Can I Listen to Salawat in the Background While Doing Other Tasks?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
I want to listen to Quran in the background while doing my work, but since I’ll be losing focus, I dont listen to it at that time since I was told it’s disrespectful not to pay attention to the Quran.
So I want to listen to durood on youtube, but when I hear Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) name, I don’t say “Sallallahu Alayhi was sallam” because I’m not paying attention all the time, plus it would interfere with my focus on my work.
So am I allowed to listen to the durood if I’m not sending Salawat when the Prophet’s name is being said? Or is it allowed to listen to durood in the background if I lose focus?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Yes, it is permissible to listen to prayers on the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), even though you are not fully paying attention.
But, keep the following in mind:
Sending Prayers to the Prophet
When listening to the Salawat, send prayers to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) at least once in that sitting. This is the necessary amount of sending blessings on the Prophet when his blessed name is repeated multiple times in one gathering. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
After that, between tasks or whenever you are not entirely focused on something, it is recommended, but not obligatory, to repeat sending prayers upon him (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
