Question:
Assalamualaikum. I performed Subh prayer at 8 o’clock because the distance between my workplace from my house is 153km. I went out for work before the Subh adhan. If I pray Subh on the way, I will be late and I’m worried that it will not be a blessed income if I lie about my time arriving at work on my punch card. How should I perform my Subh prayer at 8 o’clock in my office? Do I need to perform it as qadha’ (replacement) or the normal Subh prayer? It is not a problem if I drive my car, but problems will arise when I ride my bike.
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
As an introduction, we present the dalil of obligation to perform prayer for all Muslims who have sound mind, reached puberty and in pure state (not in menses).
Allah SWT says:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ
And establish prayer
Surah al-Baqarah (43)
Another saying of Allah SWT:
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
Surah al-Nisaa’ (103)
Next, a hadith on replacing prayer narrated by Anas bin Malik RA where the Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ نَسِيَ صَلاَةً أَوْ نَامَ عَنْهَا فَكَفَّارَتُهَا أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا
He who forgets the prayer, or he slept (and it was omitted), its expiation is (only) that he should observe it when he remembers it
Sahih al-Bukhari (597) and Sahih Muslim (684)
The scholars put several situations in which one is not sinful to delay his prayer until it passes its time. Among them:
- Sleep, if he sleeps before the time of prayer
- Being forgetful
- Jamak (combine) prayer
- When he is forced
- Feeling worried that he might miss the time for wuquf in Arafah
- Saving anything which is honoured by syara’ from damage and defect.
[Refer Taqrirat al-Sadidah (190-191)]
Next, for further reading one may refer to our previous article in the section Tahqiq al-Masail: The Ruling of Qadha’ for Those Who Intentionally Abandon Prayer
Coming back to the question presented, we are of the opinion that qadha’ prayer due to fear of entering work late is not included under the excuses permitted by syara’. This is because, prayer is the rights of Allah which is obligated in its time in any situation. While working is the rights (responsibility) towards oneself and family. However, when there is a contradiction between the rights of Allah and the creation, the rights of Allah is wajib to be prioritised. The Prophet PBUH said:
إِنَّ لِرَبِّكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا
"Your Lord has a right on you, your soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you”
Sahih al-Bukhari (6139)
Therefore, we suggest some suggestions:
- If the working hour is flexible, it is permissible to delay the time to return home in order to replace the time where he enters late.
- Plan the time of journey by starting the journey earlier in the morning because he drives his own vehicle and it is possible for him to stop for Subh prayer.
- If the time is limited, it is possible to pray alone and shorten the recitation in prayer by choosing surah which is short as well as preserving the qawli and fi’li rukn.
Consequently, delaying prayer until the time ends not in desperate situations is impermissible. Lastly, may Allah SWT accept all our deeds as well as give us taufiq and hidayah to practice His Shari’a accordingly.