Some school students may miss the congregation due to extra lessons they take, causing them to delay the prayer beyond its time; what is the ruling?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, there is a question regarding teaching: In some schools in Kuwait, there are remedial classes for students. On this day, the failing students miss the Zuhr prayer. Is this considered a delay of the prayer, given the hadith that says? I mean, the students are forced to delay in order to take an extra lesson, and consequently they do not pray Zuhr in its time?
The Shaykh : Why? How long is the lesson? Between Zuhr and 'Asr, there is a long time that can accommodate the prayer, so why do they miss the prayer?
The questioner : No, the time passes for them; I mean the congregation of the mosque in the schools.
The Shaykh : Ah, you mean the congregation? And the congregation is held at the...
The questioner : In the schools.
The Shaykh : In the schools?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Not in the mosques?
The questioner : No, in the schools there are mosques.
The Shaykh : Yes, and is this by their own choice and will, or against their will?
Another questioner : No, it is by their own choice.
The Shaykh : We are asking the questioner here, and we ask that we maintain order. So, what does the questioner mean? If you do not know, ask the questioner; what does he mean? By his own choice?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, this is not permissible, naturally.
Yes?
Another questioner : How can the student be doing it by his own choice?
The Shaykh : Are you debating me? Debate the one who says it is by his own choice.
The questioner : We are now.
The Shaykh : We, in any case...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I am explaining the issue, and I will say, with as much brevity as possible, that the congregational prayer is obligatory, just like the prayer itself. I do not want to delve into its evidence, and we are content with the statement of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Baqarah 2:43], where He commanded the establishment of the prayer, in which He said: , that it be prayed with the bowing congregation. And He meant by His statement: [Al-Baqarah 2:43]. So, the congregational prayer is obligatory, just like the prayer itself. Of course, this is without a valid religious excuse. If one has an excuse, that has a different ruling, and we are not addressing that now. If the student, or if the students, are able to establish the congregational prayer, but they leave it, turn away from it, and set it aside, then they are abandoning an obligation. And one who abandons an obligation is sinful, without doubt or ambiguity.
The Shaykh: As for if they are unable to pray this congregational prayer, I say: Perhaps they are excused, and I mean what I say; perhaps they are excused. That is because it was incumbent upon them, or at least upon their fathers, to demand that the school administration assign the students to maintain the congregational prayer, just as they assign them to attend the lesson classes. Every Muslim knows that these lessons which students today strive to acquire are not individual obligations, but rather collective obligations. So, if the matter comes down to a Muslim—and here the student of knowledge—choosing to perform the collective obligation and neglecting the individual obligation, this is not permissible. Rather, the correct course is to maintain the individual obligation and not to concern oneself with the collective obligation as long as there are others performing it. To combine the two obligations, the individual and the collective, it is incumbent upon the authorities, or closest to that, the fathers, to demand that the teachers urge the students to maintain the congregational prayer at all times of the Sunnah, whether there is an exam or not.
The Shaykh: In short: It is obligatory for students to strive to perform the congregational prayer as much as they are able. So, whoever has a valid religious excuse, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who knows the truth of his case; is he excused or not excused?
The Shaykh: So, right now, I cannot say that this student is excused or not excused, but the ruling is that it is obligatory for students, whether in their homes or in their schools, to maintain the congregational prayer. If the school system does not help them to do so, they must demand that the officials pay attention to establishing this congregational prayer at the time of prayer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Why? How long is the lesson? Between Zuhr and 'Asr, there is a long time that can accommodate the prayer, so why do they miss the prayer?
The questioner : No, the time passes for them; I mean the congregation of the mosque in the schools.
The Shaykh : Ah, you mean the congregation? And the congregation is held at the...
The questioner : In the schools.
The Shaykh : In the schools?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Not in the mosques?
The questioner : No, in the schools there are mosques.
The Shaykh : Yes, and is this by their own choice and will, or against their will?
Another questioner : No, it is by their own choice.
The Shaykh : We are asking the questioner here, and we ask that we maintain order. So, what does the questioner mean? If you do not know, ask the questioner; what does he mean? By his own choice?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, this is not permissible, naturally.
Yes?
Another questioner : How can the student be doing it by his own choice?
The Shaykh : Are you debating me? Debate the one who says it is by his own choice.
The questioner : We are now.
The Shaykh : We, in any case...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I am explaining the issue, and I will say, with as much brevity as possible, that the congregational prayer is obligatory, just like the prayer itself. I do not want to delve into its evidence, and we are content with the statement of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَAnd establish the prayer.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَand bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَThe Shaykh: As for if they are unable to pray this congregational prayer, I say: Perhaps they are excused, and I mean what I say; perhaps they are excused. That is because it was incumbent upon them, or at least upon their fathers, to demand that the school administration assign the students to maintain the congregational prayer, just as they assign them to attend the lesson classes. Every Muslim knows that these lessons which students today strive to acquire are not individual obligations, but rather collective obligations. So, if the matter comes down to a Muslim—and here the student of knowledge—choosing to perform the collective obligation and neglecting the individual obligation, this is not permissible. Rather, the correct course is to maintain the individual obligation and not to concern oneself with the collective obligation as long as there are others performing it. To combine the two obligations, the individual and the collective, it is incumbent upon the authorities, or closest to that, the fathers, to demand that the teachers urge the students to maintain the congregational prayer at all times of the Sunnah, whether there is an exam or not.
The Shaykh: In short: It is obligatory for students to strive to perform the congregational prayer as much as they are able. So, whoever has a valid religious excuse, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who knows the truth of his case; is he excused or not excused?
The Shaykh: So, right now, I cannot say that this student is excused or not excused, but the ruling is that it is obligatory for students, whether in their homes or in their schools, to maintain the congregational prayer. If the school system does not help them to do so, they must demand that the officials pay attention to establishing this congregational prayer at the time of prayer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.