The ruling on one who sleeps through the 'Asr prayer while knowing the time

The questioner : Is it permissible for a person to sleep through the 'Asr prayer when he comes home from work, knowing that he

The Shaykh : sleeps half an hour before the adhan, and he comes home tired? Does he fall under the ruling of one who abandons the prayer? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good? He does not fall under the ruling of one who abandons the prayer, but it is obligatory for him, if he sleeps half an hour before the time, to arrange for someone from his family to wake him, or to set an alarm clock, or something similar. If this is not possible, such as if his family are like him and they sleep, and the alarm clock has no effect on him, as for sleeping through the 'Asr prayer, the 'Asr prayer is the greatest of the prayers and the most important of them; it is the one mentioned in the statement of Allah the Exalted: It is the 'Asr prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke about it in the Battle of the Trench, saying about the disbelievers, may Allah fill their graves and their houses with fire: "They kept us busy from the middle prayer, the 'Asr prayer." It is the one about which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever abandons the 'Asr prayer, it is as if his family and his wealth were cut off," meaning it is as if he lost his family and his wealth. If a person loses his family and his wealth, you find people coming to him in groups to console him. But who says to the one who abandons the 'Asr prayer, "May Allah increase your reward and make your consolation good for abandoning the 'Asr prayer"? Few are the ones who notice this, let alone console him for its loss. So my advice to this man is to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and not to waste the 'Asr prayer or any other of the prayers. A person who is careful can take the measures that lead to making up for this matter.