Some companies have prayer halls where they pray the midday and afternoon prayers. If it rains, is it permissible for them to combine the midday and afternoon prayers in this prayer hall?
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The questioner : Some institutions or companies have prayer halls where they pray the midday and afternoon prayers. If there is rain, is it permissible for them to combine prayers in these prayer halls?
The Shaykh : This is a question that should be preceded by another question, and the answer to the second question depends on the answer to that first question. Is it permissible for them to pray in this prayer hall without a mosque? If the answer is that it is permissible, then the answer is that it is permissible; and if the answer is that it is not permissible, then the answer is that it is not permissible.
The questioner : There is no mosque in the area...
The Shaykh : The details are not important for this answer.
The questioner : If the mosque is far away...
The Shaykh : The mosque is far away, ... it is discussed ... the hypothesis is met by another hypothesis ... there is nothing.
The answer is: If it is permissible for him not to pray in that mosque, even if the prayer hall does not exist.
The questioner : ... he comes to ask me...
The Shaykh : If you are compelled to do that, it is permissible for you to go beyond it, that is one thing, ...
The questioner : ... if I am going to ...
The Shaykh : Then, if you are able to park your car next to the mosque, it is obligatory for you to get out. Do you know when a Muslim must pray the obligatory prayer in the mosque, or not? Do you know?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay. So we say: If that mosque you are referring to is one where it is obligatory for the worshipper to pray there, then it is not permissible for him to pray in his prayer hall, ... we are in no need of this, but ...
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : What we mentioned earlier is that those who pray in the prayer halls, is it permissible for them to pray in the prayer hall because the mosque is far away, or is it not permissible? If the detail was given between you and me, this is a question, so give me its answer. Was this detail given between you and me in the past? That is, we said earlier and we say now: The group that prays in the prayer hall, either it is permissible for them to leave the mosque because it is far and pray in the prayer hall in congregation, or it is not. For example, suppose there is a mosque next to the prayer hall, would they leave praying in the mosque and pray in the prayer hall? This detail was discussed between you and me, and in any case, it is not permissible.
The questioner : No, if they are praying in the prayer hall and they do not have a mosque, then their prayer hall is equivalent to a mosque.
The Shaykh : This is what we said.
The questioner : ... meaning the implication, the result is that the person who prays in the prayer hall and cannot reach the mosque combines in his prayer hall, because it is a place equivalent to a mosque.
The Shaykh : Yes, ... how not... for you, my brother, I told you: My question in what we discussed previously was regarding this detail, that the prayer hall in which those people pray, either they are excused from praying because the mosque, which is far from them, is not religiously obligatory for them to attend.
The questioner : ... we were at our brother's house..
The Shaykh : Never mind, I will leave the details, we went to ... the topic came in detail, meaning whether the mosque is close such that it is obligatory for them to pray in it, or it is far such that it is not obligatory for them to pray in it, the ruling is the same. Where did the detail come from? In any case.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : He owes nothing. The important thing is that what is currently in my mind is that there is no prayer in the prayer hall because I know that those who pray in prayer halls are falling short by leaving the prayer in the mosque. But if we take the picture that these people are not falling short because there is no mosque there, let us suppose now a very strange picture where there is no mosque at all around them, no mosque, and the group either prays individually or prays in this prayer hall in congregation. I do not say: that these people do not combine in this prayer hall, no, they pray in it because as long as they are praying in congregation instead of the mosque, they pray in it. But those who pray in the prayer hall and are falling short by leaving the prayer hall and going to the mosque, these people do not combine.
The questioner : ... the prayer hall they have...
The Shaykh : We are saying this detail, I do not say: they combine or they do not combine.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : This is it, yes.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : That it is a prayer hall?
The questioner : Near the mosque.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, my brother, if it is a prayer hall or an office, my brother, it is not a mosque. One person went ... and a third person said at home ... , my brother, the wisdom in the legislation of combining in mosques is to preserve the issue of congregational prayer, and it is not so when a person is in a prayer hall where it is not permissible for him to pray, and it is obligatory for him to pray in the mosque, or in the house, or in the shop, or in the store, it is not permissible for him to combine because combining was legislated to prevent the loss of the issue of congregational prayer. Suppose now you or any other person prayed the sunset prayer and the rain was falling, he did not combine, he went home and the rain continued to fall heavily until the time of the night prayer. It is obligatory for you now to leave your house while the rain is falling and go pray in congregation in the mosque! Is it obligatory? It is known that it is not. So, if you do not combine now, what did you lose? You lost the congregation, the congregation was lost for you. So, when we know this legal reality, then you know that the one in the prayer hall where it is not permissible for him to pray, or in his house, the obligatory thing is to pray in the mosque. If he prays the sunset prayer, it is not permissible for him to combine because the purpose of combining is to preserve the congregation. And in this picture, he is above losing the congregation of the first prayer, which is the sunset prayer, and he will also lose the second congregation, which is the night prayer.
The Shaykh : This is a question that should be preceded by another question, and the answer to the second question depends on the answer to that first question. Is it permissible for them to pray in this prayer hall without a mosque? If the answer is that it is permissible, then the answer is that it is permissible; and if the answer is that it is not permissible, then the answer is that it is not permissible.
The questioner : There is no mosque in the area...
The Shaykh : The details are not important for this answer.
The questioner : If the mosque is far away...
The Shaykh : The mosque is far away, ... it is discussed ... the hypothesis is met by another hypothesis ... there is nothing.
The answer is: If it is permissible for him not to pray in that mosque, even if the prayer hall does not exist.
The questioner : ... he comes to ask me...
The Shaykh : If you are compelled to do that, it is permissible for you to go beyond it, that is one thing, ...
The questioner : ... if I am going to ...
The Shaykh : Then, if you are able to park your car next to the mosque, it is obligatory for you to get out. Do you know when a Muslim must pray the obligatory prayer in the mosque, or not? Do you know?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay. So we say: If that mosque you are referring to is one where it is obligatory for the worshipper to pray there, then it is not permissible for him to pray in his prayer hall, ... we are in no need of this, but ...
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : What we mentioned earlier is that those who pray in the prayer halls, is it permissible for them to pray in the prayer hall because the mosque is far away, or is it not permissible? If the detail was given between you and me, this is a question, so give me its answer. Was this detail given between you and me in the past? That is, we said earlier and we say now: The group that prays in the prayer hall, either it is permissible for them to leave the mosque because it is far and pray in the prayer hall in congregation, or it is not. For example, suppose there is a mosque next to the prayer hall, would they leave praying in the mosque and pray in the prayer hall? This detail was discussed between you and me, and in any case, it is not permissible.
The questioner : No, if they are praying in the prayer hall and they do not have a mosque, then their prayer hall is equivalent to a mosque.
The Shaykh : This is what we said.
The questioner : ... meaning the implication, the result is that the person who prays in the prayer hall and cannot reach the mosque combines in his prayer hall, because it is a place equivalent to a mosque.
The Shaykh : Yes, ... how not... for you, my brother, I told you: My question in what we discussed previously was regarding this detail, that the prayer hall in which those people pray, either they are excused from praying because the mosque, which is far from them, is not religiously obligatory for them to attend.
The questioner : ... we were at our brother's house..
The Shaykh : Never mind, I will leave the details, we went to ... the topic came in detail, meaning whether the mosque is close such that it is obligatory for them to pray in it, or it is far such that it is not obligatory for them to pray in it, the ruling is the same. Where did the detail come from? In any case.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : He owes nothing. The important thing is that what is currently in my mind is that there is no prayer in the prayer hall because I know that those who pray in prayer halls are falling short by leaving the prayer in the mosque. But if we take the picture that these people are not falling short because there is no mosque there, let us suppose now a very strange picture where there is no mosque at all around them, no mosque, and the group either prays individually or prays in this prayer hall in congregation. I do not say: that these people do not combine in this prayer hall, no, they pray in it because as long as they are praying in congregation instead of the mosque, they pray in it. But those who pray in the prayer hall and are falling short by leaving the prayer hall and going to the mosque, these people do not combine.
The questioner : ... the prayer hall they have...
The Shaykh : We are saying this detail, I do not say: they combine or they do not combine.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : This is it, yes.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : That it is a prayer hall?
The questioner : Near the mosque.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah, my brother, if it is a prayer hall or an office, my brother, it is not a mosque. One person went ... and a third person said at home ... , my brother, the wisdom in the legislation of combining in mosques is to preserve the issue of congregational prayer, and it is not so when a person is in a prayer hall where it is not permissible for him to pray, and it is obligatory for him to pray in the mosque, or in the house, or in the shop, or in the store, it is not permissible for him to combine because combining was legislated to prevent the loss of the issue of congregational prayer. Suppose now you or any other person prayed the sunset prayer and the rain was falling, he did not combine, he went home and the rain continued to fall heavily until the time of the night prayer. It is obligatory for you now to leave your house while the rain is falling and go pray in congregation in the mosque! Is it obligatory? It is known that it is not. So, if you do not combine now, what did you lose? You lost the congregation, the congregation was lost for you. So, when we know this legal reality, then you know that the one in the prayer hall where it is not permissible for him to pray, or in his house, the obligatory thing is to pray in the mosque. If he prays the sunset prayer, it is not permissible for him to combine because the purpose of combining is to preserve the congregation. And in this picture, he is above losing the congregation of the first prayer, which is the sunset prayer, and he will also lose the second congregation, which is the night prayer.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.