fire alarm activation

[bevfs]

would a person ie of muslim faith react to an alarm activation
whilst praying,or would the person continue to pray?

(this is not in insult any faith,just a question)

Post edited by Kurnal to bring within acceptable boundaries for firenet. We are happy to discuss facts relating to fire safety related matters but please do not speculate on details of faith.

[nearlythere]

would a person ie of muslim faith react to an alarm activation
whilst praying,or would the person continue to pray?

(this is not in insult any faith,just a question)

Post edited by Kurnal to bring within acceptable boundaries for firenet. We are happy to discuss facts relating to fire safety related matters but please do not speculate details of faith.

I don't think death in this way is considered martyrdom. Is martyrdom not bestowed on the faithful in the defence of Allah or Islam?

[ahmedh]

would a person ie of muslim faith react to an alarm activation
whilst praying,or would the person continue to pray?

(this is not in insult any faith,just a question)

Post edited by Kurnal to bring within acceptable boundaries for firenet. We are happy to discuss facts relating to fire safety related matters but please do not speculate details of faith.

I don't think death in this way is considered martyrdom. Is martyrdom not bestowed on the faithful in the defence of Allah or Islam?

I don't think it possible to give a pat answer as the individual will have to decide, however it is permissible to stop prayer in cases of necessity. They would then need to repeat that particular prayer from the beginning.

The islamic concept of matyrdom can only be fully understood in the context of jihad and is different from the Western definition which would be too much of a theological debate and likely against forum rules.

[SamFIRT]

It will be difficult for this thread to be added to without offending someone somewhere and I wish to say from the outset I in no way wish to offend anyone anywhere. !

This issue is one of very many human behaviour issues that affect the pre-response time to becoming aware of, and therefore taking action to escape from, a fire; whether the cue comes from the activation of a fire alarm, or from seeing, or smelling smoke, or seeing, or feeling flame.

Religious belief is only one factor. It can be a strong one and it can be imposed on people counter intuitively by people without a grasp of the situation and with perhaps more fundamental beliefs than the escaping person.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/1874471.stm

Fire is a cultural phenomenon. In Western Culture we have become sanitised from its effects in very many ways. We teach our children subliminally that fire is safe and may be played with from a very early age. We show sanitised images of unrealistic fires in our media. In other cultures fire is considered to be a method of everyday cooking, a religious icon and even a cleanser.

So would a Muslim not leave prayers for a fire alarm? Possibly not. But nor probably would a Catholic or a Jew or a Presbyterian, or a Rastafarian, etc etc

No offense .... to anyone 

[kurnal]

Fire risk assessments and fire emergency plans for a mosque do present special challenges.

In my experience the leader of the worship is a very senior member of the faith and few members, even when trained as fire wardens, are confident to interrupt the worship even to point out that the fire alarm is sounding. I have found it difficult to break through this potential barrier to a rapid and timely evacuation.

Typically the life risk is very high but there are very few combustible contents in most areas so a flashover is almost inconceivable.

The biggest problem is the management of the evacuation. Everybody enters by the same entrance and leaves their shoes at the door. In an evacuation they are very keen, understandably, to use the same exit and collect their shoes with the inevitable problems this brings.  I have tried several ways to get round this problem but solutions never seem to work for long.

Progress is difficult in getting the message across to the leaders of the Mosque as the Responsible Person. Whilst fire wardens may be appointed there is a very strict hierarchy above them. The elder members are hugely respected and all powerful and I have found it difficult, if not impossible, to reach them with the fire safety messages, duties and responsibilites imposed by the Order.