Islamic Studies

"Boss Refuses to Let Me Attend Friday Prayers."

Answered by Dr. ‘Abdullah Bin Bayyah | Translated and abridged by Suhaib Webb

The Question:

My husband works for a company in London. Recently he asked his boss if he would excuse him on Fridays to observe the Friday Prayer. His boss refused and my husband is unable to observe it. What is the ruling on one in this situation? Is there any action that can be done to make up for missing this prayer?

The Answer:

The Friday prayer is an obligation according to the Qu’ran and the Traditions of the Prophet [May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him].

The Qur’an states: “Oh you who profess faith! When you are called to the prayer on they day of congregation [Friday], rush to the remembrance of Allah and leave off [all forms of] commerce: this is better for you, if you but knew.” The Qur’an 62:9

The Prophet Muhammad [May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him] cautioned leaving the Friday Prayers [without a valid excuse] stating that one who abandoned three Friday prayers, “Allah will seal his/her heart.” Thus, [this makes it clear] that observing the Friday prayer is an obligatory action.

However, if we look at this issue regarding this woman’s husband, we must do so from the perspective that he is unable to find another means of employment unless he works with this person. Therefore, it is likely that he is excused [for missing the Friday prayer]; conditioned that he is not able to find another job. So, [under these conditions], he is excused for missing the Friday prayers and should pray four rakat’s until he finds another place to work.

This is what is apparent to us regarding this situation based on the order of benefits and harms, that the Friday prayer has a replacement [the noon prayer] and that the scholars allowed one to miss the Friday prayers due to hail, heavy rain, illness, weakness and so on. Please refer to Imam Khalil al-Maliki’s explanation in his book where he wrote: “Excuses for missing it [the Friday prayer]: extreme mud, rain, leprocy, the sick and the one engaged in nursing the weak/ill” and this issue falls under the above.

Allah Knows best

Dr. ‘Abdullah Bin Bayyah

www.virtualmosque.com

 


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11 Comments

  • Mashaallh great fatwa. We appreciate our hard working scholars in islam.
    May allah bless them all. Ust. Suhaib can we get a taste of variety scholars.
    I mean post the fatwas like uthaimin,bin baz and albani inshallah, so people can no their point of views also.This is only suggestion.

    Anyway, thanks for the fatwa and please add more contemporary fatwa.

  • It’s very easy going on complaining because:occidental people don’t pay attention yo muslim need.
    The problem is that there are some job which don’t allow any moment of abandone.
    A doctor, a soldier, a bus driver..they can’t ask:can I have some hours for my pray time?
    NO!
    It sounds so easy to me..there are things that are important other less..That’s the case of the pray time.take it easy!

  • Salaam
    If you do post fatawa of the Shuyukh Bin Baz, Uthaymin and al-Albani, then please do so approriately i.e. keeping in mind Unity and not division

    Wassalam

  • Masha Allah…

    May Allah reward the Sheikh for his attempts to help the muslims who are living in the west.

    I respect Sheikh Bin Bayyah alot. However, sometimes i feel that the principle of tayseer can be very dangerous. Meaning; some people take the principle of ease to such a level that you’ll find them left at the end with no deen.

  • Assalaamu Alaikum Imam Suhaib,

    Jazakumullahu khairan for posting. I wonder, though: shouldn’t a fatwa of this sort take into consideration the law of the land regarding religious accommodation? If the country one is living in grants religious freedom, then shouldn’t one, if possible, file a complaint against the employer rather than taking the easy way out and just praying four raka’at?

    Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson makes a similar argument regarding Jumu’ah prayers in prison: http://youtube.com/watch?v=88dUG17iQ50. (I’m not sure where in this lecture, but it’s in the Q&A, so maybe pt. 6 or 7.)

  • Salam alaykum

    I don’t know about England, but the law in the US is pretty strong on allowing people time off for jumuah.

  • Wa alaykum al-Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

    intrigued:

    Thanks for your comments. Many times I post things to create discussion and stimulate thought. This is, indeed, one of those cases. While I have a great amount of respect for Dr. Bin Bayyah, I wonder if he is aware of the many legal mechanisms and social norms that are at one’s disposal in the West under such circumstances? Perhaps, he could have referred the sister to a group like CAIR for example.

    If there is one common concern when dealing with minority fiqh and translated questions and answers from scholars coming from the East it is that they tend to lean towards: conservatism that fails to recognize the reality of the West, or an immigrant mentality that fails to grasp the width of the West in general. Both seem to be based on fear from two very opposite directions. For that reason we need, really need, home grown scholars to take on this task. Both understandings fail to digest certain nuances related to or societies that would make worshiping Allah possible while empowering us to contribute something positive to our societies as well.

    SDW

  • Discussion in the right manner – Al hamdulillah

    Just thinking did not the Shaykh (May Allah Protect him) mention that this person can only do pray dhur “until he finds another place to work”? Meaning that the shaykh is acknowleding that this is a temporary status i.e. the person praying Dhur in place of Jumuah Thus using laws etc… to get time off for Jumuah can be understood from this perspective. meaning instead of finding another place to work (as the shaykh mentions assuming that the current employer does not allow time for Jumuah), make an agreement of something with the current employer using laws and rights as the brothers mentioned, and thus you would have arrived at the right solution.

    What this sentence also acknowledges is that this is a an immidiete solution for a problem that will possible take a long time to solve, so thus to clear the conscience of the questioner, this fatwa reasures him of what he do now.

    Also wat does Imam Suhaib (and others) think about when reading fatawa of Noble scholars from the east, we may have to “read in” to the fatawa, Obviously this has to be done sensible and has to be based on what he is saying as well as meeting the objective of the fatwa or is this too dangerous and simply ask for more clarification from the scholars (that is if he is Alive otherwise the first option is the only option!!!)

    Agree or disagree?

    Peace

  • Assalamu Alaikum
    According to the Islamic understanding of Rizq (Provision) that it is already been allocated and Allah has made it a duty to find it by Halal means, A Fardh should take presedence in choosing a job etc.
    What I fear is that these can be taken very much for granted, despite the Shaikh mentioning about actively seeking for an alternative, in the west specially in the current climate where Musliims are increasingly called to integrate i.e. take the view that west has taken about religeon.
    Allah knows best

  • dodgy at best. after quoting the hadith, will allah swt then set a seal over his heart for missing three consecutive jumas, if he has not found a job?
    It is fard to perform jumu’a according to quran and sunnah. i would like to know where the hukm was derived for this fatwa?

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