We are a group who work at sea, and our work ends one hour before the sun rises. Is it better for us to stop working and pray Fajr, or to finish working and pray?

The questioner : We are a group who work at sea, and our work ends one hour before the sun rises. Is it better for us to stop working and pray Fajr, or to finish working and pray afterwards, as long as the time for the sun’s rise has not yet come? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : The answer to that is that as long as you finish your work one hour before the sun rises, you can perform the prayer in its time. There is no blame on you if you delay the prayer until the work is finished, provided that you complete the prayer before the sun rises. This is because performing the prayer at the beginning of its time is recommended, not obligatory. Leaving your work for the prayer might disrupt the work, and there might be something that causes you harm. If it does not disrupt the work and you do not suffer harm from it, then it is better for you to perform the prayer at the beginning of its time, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform Fajr at the beginning of its time. Yes.

The questioner : In his second letter, he says.