Some companies punish their employees and fine them if they leave for the mosque, even though the mosque is nearby. Should they pray at the company?
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The questioner : Suppose that if the employees leave, they may be exposed to fines from the company itself or disciplinary measures, and the mosque is nearby. If they leave, might they be harmed?
The Shaykh : This is in the path of Allah: "Indeed, you are but a finger that has bled, *** And in the path of Allah is what you have encountered." This is a refuting argument, Professor. It is supposed that every Muslim should obey Allah more than he obeys the servants of Allah. There may be a company that does not allow the employee to pray the Friday prayer. Does the Friday prayer drop off him? You will say with me, no?
The questioner : No, of course not.
The Shaykh : Yes, say with me—also—the congregational prayer; likewise, because the ruling regarding the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, in terms of the sacred texts, is one ruling. Although the neglect of leaving the Friday prayer is more severe, the ruling is one. What is it? The single ruling is that the noble verse says, "When the call is made for the prayer on the day of Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah," but we have something similar in the hadith: A blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, my house is far away, and on my path are trees and stones, and I have no guide to lead me. Will you find for me a dispensation to leave the prayer with the congregation?" He said to him at first:. Then he said to him: . He said, "Yes." He said: . If the blind man was commanded to respond, then how much more so the two who can see.
The student : A fortiori.
The Shaykh : This is the ruling on congregational prayer, which shares a certain aspect with the ruling on Friday prayer, and they are very important. Two hadiths have come, one from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and the other from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both), which convey a single warning: one is about the one who misses Friday prayer and the other is about the one who misses congregational prayer, in a single warning. The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud says:. The 'Isha' prayer is not Friday prayer; it is a single ruling: burning the houses of those who miss Friday prayer and burning the houses of those who miss congregational prayer, even if it is just one... So Mishkat al-Masabih 3696.
The questioner : What does "two throwing distances" in the mosque mean?
The Shaykh : "Two throwing distances." The sheep has two hooves underneath, and he throws them, usually. It is an idiom meaning that if he found a trivial material benefit in the mosque, he would attend it—that is, he would attend the congregational prayer. But he does not attend it to gain the virtue of twenty-seven degrees. So he is indifferent to the Hereafter and greedy for the world and its trivial things.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : This is in the path of Allah: "Indeed, you are but a finger that has bled, *** And in the path of Allah is what you have encountered." This is a refuting argument, Professor. It is supposed that every Muslim should obey Allah more than he obeys the servants of Allah. There may be a company that does not allow the employee to pray the Friday prayer. Does the Friday prayer drop off him? You will say with me, no?
The questioner : No, of course not.
The Shaykh : Yes, say with me—also—the congregational prayer; likewise, because the ruling regarding the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, in terms of the sacred texts, is one ruling. Although the neglect of leaving the Friday prayer is more severe, the ruling is one. What is it? The single ruling is that the noble verse says, "When the call is made for the prayer on the day of Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah," but we have something similar in the hadith: A blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, my house is far away, and on my path are trees and stones, and I have no guide to lead me. Will you find for me a dispensation to leave the prayer with the congregation?" He said to him at first:
Yes
نعمDo you hear the call?
أتسمع النداء ؟Then respond.
فأَجِبْThe student : A fortiori.
The Shaykh : This is the ruling on congregational prayer, which shares a certain aspect with the ruling on Friday prayer, and they are very important. Two hadiths have come, one from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and the other from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both), which convey a single warning: one is about the one who misses Friday prayer and the other is about the one who misses congregational prayer, in a single warning. The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud says:
I intended to command a man to lead the people in prayer, then command men to gather firewood, then I would go to a people who leave the prayer with the congregation and burn their houses over them. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if one of them knew that there were two throwing distances of good in the mosque, he would attend it—that is, the Isha prayer.
لقد هَمَمْتُ أن آمر رجلًا فيصلي بالناس ، ثم آمر رجالًا فيحطبوا حطبًا ، ثم أخالِفَ إلى أناسٍ يدعون الصلاة مع الجماعة فأحرِّق عليهم بيوتهم ، والذي نفس محمد بيده ؛ لو يعلم أحدهم أن في المسجد مرماتَينِ حَسَنَتَينِ لَشَهِدَها - أي : صلاة العشاء -A creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the "Creator.”
لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالقThe questioner : What does "two throwing distances" in the mosque mean?
The Shaykh : "Two throwing distances." The sheep has two hooves underneath, and he throws them, usually. It is an idiom meaning that if he found a trivial material benefit in the mosque, he would attend it—that is, he would attend the congregational prayer. But he does not attend it to gain the virtue of twenty-seven degrees. So he is indifferent to the Hereafter and greedy for the world and its trivial things.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.