The Ruling on the Prayer of Employees in Government Offices

Question : But here is an issue that causes difficulty for many government offices that have a large congregation and a special prayer hall where they pray, while there are mosques around them. Do we tell them to all leave this office and pray in the mosque? Or do we tell them to pray in their place?

Answer : There is no blame on you. What we hold is that if the mosque is nearby, it is obligatory—yes—and if the work is not disrupted, it is obligatory for them to pray in the mosque. However, if it is far away, or if the disruption of work is feared—such as the office having work and many visitors—or if there is a fear that some employees might slip away, because some employees do not fear Allah; if they say they are going out to pray, they go to their homes and perhaps do not return. In this case, we say: pray in your place, pray in your location, because this is better for preserving the work and more upright. The work must be established in accordance with the commitment and covenant between the employee and the government. This is the distinction in this issue. Therefore, it should—unless we say it is obligatory—that a mosque be established in large offices, with a door opening onto the street, where the five daily prayers are performed, so that it becomes a mosque for the general public, and the people of this office pray in it, as was done in the Department of Ifta in Riyadh. This is among the best of projects.