Does the Friday prayer become excused for the workers of a factory that cannot be left without employees and staff to supervise it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Nasser has a question.
The questioner : Yes, yes, does the Friday prayer become excused for any of the reasons, and let me give an example of what I want to ask about?
The Shaykh : It is good.
The questioner : In the factories, they operate twenty-four hours a day, and there must be employees who supervise the management of the factory in the operations room. If they pray in congregation, the factory is left without employees or staff to supervise it. So, is this reason sufficient to excuse them from the Friday prayer? You want to ask for details, meaning if you have them.
The Shaykh : No, I am going to give you the details.
The questioner: Yes.
The student : This question is the same as the hospital case, Professor.
The Shaykh : If the factory or the hospital is established on the Islamic system, and this system requires that there must be people present, even if the people are in the mosques, there must be people in the factory or in the hospital, then it is permissible; otherwise, it is not permissible. What do you think of this philosophy?
The questioner : By Allah, I am lost now.
The Shaykh : No, let us go back and summarize it, if Allah wills.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : You know that the factories are not established on Islamic systems.
The questioner: Correct.
The Shaykh : Correct?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : So, any system established on other than Islam, it is not befitting for us to develop our religion and our Islam so that it fits and responds to its premises; because it does not think about what is permissible or not permissible. Do you understand now?
The student : I understood.
The Shaykh : Okay, but if there is a system in that hospital.
The student : The factory.
The Shaykh : Or the factory observes the rulings of the Shari'ah, and the people of authority and decision-making are gathered there, including industrialists, engineers, scholars, and so on, and they discussed this problem, and they found that they have no solution except to remain stationed in their hospital or in their factory; then we say at that time: it is permissible; otherwise, it is not permissible. Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Okay, I will add something else for you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : It is possible, depending on the type of work and the type of supervision of the workshop, that I imagine, and of course I testify that my imagination may be limited; because I am not an industrialist and I am not an engineer.
The student : ... the cup, my brother.
The Shaykh : All that is the case is that I use this intellect that our Lord has blessed us with, so I say: it is possible that the group who governs the public benefit of their remaining in the hospital or in the workshop, and not going out to the mosque for Friday prayer or for congregation, can establish Friday prayer and congregation in the same workshop, in the same hospital, while they are supervising the work during their prayer. This is what I imagine, but does reality support it or not? I tell you: if reality supports it, then this is a new detail, and if reality does not support it, then you have taken the answer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner : This would be an analogy to the prayer of fear.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : An analogy to the prayer of fear, where the employees who pray Friday prayer return and open the place for other people to establish a second congregation in the factory mosque or in a mosque.
The student : But with the specifications mentioned by the Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Yes, may Allah give you the sweetest of water.
The student : All of you.
The Shaykh : And now, allow us, if Allah wills.
The student : Does this visit compensate for Nasser's visit by requesting it or not?
The Shaykh : No, this visit is for you.
The student : Okay, may Allah bless you, so that he is reassured, meaning.
The Shaykh : Yes, I reassured him, may Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : Yes, yes, does the Friday prayer become excused for any of the reasons, and let me give an example of what I want to ask about?
The Shaykh : It is good.
The questioner : In the factories, they operate twenty-four hours a day, and there must be employees who supervise the management of the factory in the operations room. If they pray in congregation, the factory is left without employees or staff to supervise it. So, is this reason sufficient to excuse them from the Friday prayer? You want to ask for details, meaning if you have them.
The Shaykh : No, I am going to give you the details.
The questioner: Yes.
The student : This question is the same as the hospital case, Professor.
The Shaykh : If the factory or the hospital is established on the Islamic system, and this system requires that there must be people present, even if the people are in the mosques, there must be people in the factory or in the hospital, then it is permissible; otherwise, it is not permissible. What do you think of this philosophy?
The questioner : By Allah, I am lost now.
The Shaykh : No, let us go back and summarize it, if Allah wills.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : You know that the factories are not established on Islamic systems.
The questioner: Correct.
The Shaykh : Correct?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : So, any system established on other than Islam, it is not befitting for us to develop our religion and our Islam so that it fits and responds to its premises; because it does not think about what is permissible or not permissible. Do you understand now?
The student : I understood.
The Shaykh : Okay, but if there is a system in that hospital.
The student : The factory.
The Shaykh : Or the factory observes the rulings of the Shari'ah, and the people of authority and decision-making are gathered there, including industrialists, engineers, scholars, and so on, and they discussed this problem, and they found that they have no solution except to remain stationed in their hospital or in their factory; then we say at that time: it is permissible; otherwise, it is not permissible. Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Okay, I will add something else for you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : It is possible, depending on the type of work and the type of supervision of the workshop, that I imagine, and of course I testify that my imagination may be limited; because I am not an industrialist and I am not an engineer.
The student : ... the cup, my brother.
The Shaykh : All that is the case is that I use this intellect that our Lord has blessed us with, so I say: it is possible that the group who governs the public benefit of their remaining in the hospital or in the workshop, and not going out to the mosque for Friday prayer or for congregation, can establish Friday prayer and congregation in the same workshop, in the same hospital, while they are supervising the work during their prayer. This is what I imagine, but does reality support it or not? I tell you: if reality supports it, then this is a new detail, and if reality does not support it, then you have taken the answer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner : This would be an analogy to the prayer of fear.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : An analogy to the prayer of fear, where the employees who pray Friday prayer return and open the place for other people to establish a second congregation in the factory mosque or in a mosque.
The student : But with the specifications mentioned by the Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Yes, may Allah give you the sweetest of water.
The student : All of you.
The Shaykh : And now, allow us, if Allah wills.
The student : Does this visit compensate for Nasser's visit by requesting it or not?
The Shaykh : No, this visit is for you.
The student : Okay, may Allah bless you, so that he is reassured, meaning.
The Shaykh : Yes, I reassured him, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.