There are women who are forced to work out of necessity; how do they perform the prayer during work hours? And is it permissible for them to combine the midday and afternoon prayers?
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The questioner : There are Muslim women who work, so how can they pray? Because they cannot leave their jobs, as some of them are the sole providers for themselves and have no support, so work is a necessity and they cannot leave it. How can their prayer be performed while they are inside?
The Shaykh : This question is a follow-up to your question about the house.
The questioner : This is regarding the Muslim women who left their Arab homes and left their homelands.
The Shaykh : Is that not important? I think you have led us into a rabbit hole. What are they supposed to do? They must pray as Allah has commanded them. You will say, "What if there is no water for ablution?" ... So, what is the question? Yes.
The questioner : Leaving the job?
The Shaykh : Leaving the job. This is the same as that. I want to tell you that something comes to mind. No, there is no need for that now. May Allah reward you with good. What comes to mind is: how many hours is the work shift for these female workers?
The questioner : Nine hours, from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon.
The Shaykh : Is there no opportunity?
The questioner : There is one hour for lunch, from twelve to one.
The Shaykh : During this lunch break, are they unable to pray?
The questioner : They are able to. In the summer, the time for the midday prayer has not yet arrived, and in the winter, the time for the midday and afternoon prayers has arrived, meaning the time for the midday prayer has passed and the time for the afternoon prayer has entered.
The Shaykh : No problem, let us stick to the summer. Has the time for the midday prayer not arrived?
The questioner : The time for the midday prayer does not arrive.
The Shaykh : Okay, does the time for the afternoon prayer arrive while they are still working?
The questioner : They are still working after one o'clock.
The Shaykh : I do not care about the specific hour. The hour here is different from there, because now it is the time for the midday and afternoon prayers, and we are currently in the summer, is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, in the summer, the time for the midday prayer has not entered, you say? Or what?
The questioner : The time for the midday prayer has not entered. That is, the time for the midday prayer there in the summer is at two fifteen, and lunch is at one.
The Shaykh : When do they leave?
The questioner : At four o'clock.
The Shaykh : At four o'clock, they leave at four, after the afternoon prayer?
The questioner : After the afternoon prayer.
The Shaykh : Good. How many hours before the sunset prayer?
The questioner : Three and a half hours before the sunset prayer.
The Shaykh : So, the solution is for them to intend to combine the midday and afternoon prayers by delaying them. Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, once they finish their work shift and return to their homes, they pray the four rak'ahs of the midday prayer and the four rak'ahs of the afternoon prayer as a delayed combination. This works for the summer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Let us move to winter. How are the midday and afternoon prayers handled?
The questioner : In the winter, the midday prayer is at twelve, and from twelve to one, the time for the midday prayer has entered and the afternoon prayer has not yet arrived. But the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer come upon them a quarter of an hour before they leave.
The Shaykh : Now it is the opposite. They combine by advancing the prayers, and they are at their work.
The questioner : They pray the four rak'ahs of the midday prayer and combine the four rak'ahs of the afternoon prayer by advancing it, and when they leave, they pray the sunset prayer.
The Shaykh : They pray the sunset prayer at their homes. And if the time for the sunset prayer becomes tight for them, and the sunset prayer mixes with the night prayer, it is also permissible to combine by delaying them. This is the way out.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : This question is a follow-up to your question about the house.
The questioner : This is regarding the Muslim women who left their Arab homes and left their homelands.
The Shaykh : Is that not important? I think you have led us into a rabbit hole. What are they supposed to do? They must pray as Allah has commanded them. You will say, "What if there is no water for ablution?" ... So, what is the question? Yes.
The questioner : Leaving the job?
The Shaykh : Leaving the job. This is the same as that. I want to tell you that something comes to mind. No, there is no need for that now. May Allah reward you with good. What comes to mind is: how many hours is the work shift for these female workers?
The questioner : Nine hours, from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon.
The Shaykh : Is there no opportunity?
The questioner : There is one hour for lunch, from twelve to one.
The Shaykh : During this lunch break, are they unable to pray?
The questioner : They are able to. In the summer, the time for the midday prayer has not yet arrived, and in the winter, the time for the midday and afternoon prayers has arrived, meaning the time for the midday prayer has passed and the time for the afternoon prayer has entered.
The Shaykh : No problem, let us stick to the summer. Has the time for the midday prayer not arrived?
The questioner : The time for the midday prayer does not arrive.
The Shaykh : Okay, does the time for the afternoon prayer arrive while they are still working?
The questioner : They are still working after one o'clock.
The Shaykh : I do not care about the specific hour. The hour here is different from there, because now it is the time for the midday and afternoon prayers, and we are currently in the summer, is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, in the summer, the time for the midday prayer has not entered, you say? Or what?
The questioner : The time for the midday prayer has not entered. That is, the time for the midday prayer there in the summer is at two fifteen, and lunch is at one.
The Shaykh : When do they leave?
The questioner : At four o'clock.
The Shaykh : At four o'clock, they leave at four, after the afternoon prayer?
The questioner : After the afternoon prayer.
The Shaykh : Good. How many hours before the sunset prayer?
The questioner : Three and a half hours before the sunset prayer.
The Shaykh : So, the solution is for them to intend to combine the midday and afternoon prayers by delaying them. Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, once they finish their work shift and return to their homes, they pray the four rak'ahs of the midday prayer and the four rak'ahs of the afternoon prayer as a delayed combination. This works for the summer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Let us move to winter. How are the midday and afternoon prayers handled?
The questioner : In the winter, the midday prayer is at twelve, and from twelve to one, the time for the midday prayer has entered and the afternoon prayer has not yet arrived. But the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer come upon them a quarter of an hour before they leave.
The Shaykh : Now it is the opposite. They combine by advancing the prayers, and they are at their work.
The questioner : They pray the four rak'ahs of the midday prayer and combine the four rak'ahs of the afternoon prayer by advancing it, and when they leave, they pray the sunset prayer.
The Shaykh : They pray the sunset prayer at their homes. And if the time for the sunset prayer becomes tight for them, and the sunset prayer mixes with the night prayer, it is also permissible to combine by delaying them. This is the way out.
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.