What is the ruling on leaving the workers in the shop during prayer time and then having them go individually afterward to perform the prayer?
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Question:
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: I own a commercial shop and I have workers who work, who work, who work for me in the shop. Given the lack of security for the merchandise and the difficulty of bringing it all inside the shop every time to close it, when I hear the call to prayer, I go to pray with the congregation in the mosque. Then, after I return, the workers go in turn to perform the prayer individually. What is the ruling on this practice? And do I commit a sin if I do not provide suitable conditions for the workers to perform the prayer with the congregation?
Answer:
This varies depending on the country. If the country is a safe one, like this country, and praise be to Allah, people leave their goods and go to pray, and they return to find their goods in their place, because security is available, praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for anyone to miss the congregational prayer on the excuse that he is guarding the merchandise. The merchandise, praise be to Allah, is in safety. Everyone turns to prayer and leaves their shops and stalls safe, with no danger to them. As for other countries where security is not available, there is no harm in someone remaining to guard the merchandise, and they pray in their place.
They pray in their place if their place is suitable for prayer. If it is not suitable for prayer, then if someone comes to hold the merchandise for them and guard it, they go and pray as a congregation. They do not pray individually; they pray as a congregation.
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: I own a commercial shop and I have workers who work, who work, who work for me in the shop. Given the lack of security for the merchandise and the difficulty of bringing it all inside the shop every time to close it, when I hear the call to prayer, I go to pray with the congregation in the mosque. Then, after I return, the workers go in turn to perform the prayer individually. What is the ruling on this practice? And do I commit a sin if I do not provide suitable conditions for the workers to perform the prayer with the congregation?
Answer:
This varies depending on the country. If the country is a safe one, like this country, and praise be to Allah, people leave their goods and go to pray, and they return to find their goods in their place, because security is available, praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for anyone to miss the congregational prayer on the excuse that he is guarding the merchandise. The merchandise, praise be to Allah, is in safety. Everyone turns to prayer and leaves their shops and stalls safe, with no danger to them. As for other countries where security is not available, there is no harm in someone remaining to guard the merchandise, and they pray in their place.
They pray in their place if their place is suitable for prayer. If it is not suitable for prayer, then if someone comes to hold the merchandise for them and guard it, they go and pray as a congregation. They do not pray individually; they pray as a congregation.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم ترك العمال في المحل وقت الصلاة ثم ذهابهم فرادى بعد ذلك لأداء الصلاة؟ للشيخ الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.