Assalamu alaikum! I have a few questions about religious practice of people who are deaf or have serious hearing difficulties. 1. What nuances are there in teaching them Qur'an (tajweed), eg. reading aloud letters with similar pronunciation? 2. How do they perform a congregational (group) prayer? 3. Can a deaf person lead such group prayer?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We did not understand what you exactly mean by your first question.

As regards how a group of deaf people may pray in congregation, and whether or not it is correct for a deaf person to lead the prayer, then the answer is yes. According to the view of the majority of scholars it is acceptable and correct for a deaf person to lead the prayer as long as he fulfils the conditions and pillars of the prayer.

However, the Maaliki School of jurisprudence, stated that it is dislikeable to appoint a deaf person as a full time Imaam because he may forget or make a mistake while praying and he cannot hear the congregation when drawing his attention to the mistake.

It should be noted that we have not come across the statements of the jurists about the prayer of deaf people in congregation. However, we believe that deaf people may pray in congregation but the Imaam should stand amongst the congregation in the middle of the row, in order for the congregation to be able to follow his actions during the prayer.  

Allaah Knows best.