Fatwa Shaikh Bin Baz rahimahullah
The questioner: “Some Imams of the Masajid, Oh Shaikh, in the month of Ramadan deliberately turn off the lights in the masjid.
Shaikh Bin Baz: What?
Questioner: They deliberately turn off the lights in the Masjid and there is no light except a dim light.
Shaikh: What is the reason?
Questioner: He says it is for more complete Khushoo’
Questioner: This has no origin. This speech has no origin
Questioner: Is it an affair of innovation oh Shaikh?
Shaikh: This a mistake. It is clarified to him that this is a mistake”
[Sharh Bulugh al-Maram no. 2 side A as cited here]
Fatwa Shaikh Salih al-Fawzan hafidhuhallah
Question: Is it allowed to turn off the lights in the Masaajid in order to realize Khushoo’?
Answer: “No, this is an innovation. the lights should not be turned off in the Masaajid for the Taraweeh Prayer because the people need the lights. This is an innovation and not allowed. Sometimes this is from the actions of the Suffiyyah. Yes”.
[Dars Tafseer Surah Nisaa year 1433H]
Fatwa Shaikh Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’ rahimahullah
Question: Turning off the lights in the prayer to increase Khushoo’ as happens in Ramadan with us. So what do you say about it and does it reach the level of an innovation?
Answer: “No, no. It does not reach the level of an innovation and it is not the Sunnah. So if a person increases in Khushoo’ if he closes his eyes or turns off the electricity so that he can be far removed from showing off, then there is no harm in that. The people differ. So it is not necessary for a person to obgliate his opinion and turn off the electrcity. Some people do not like that”.
[https://www.muqbel.net/fatwa.php?fatwa_id=3853]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
