What is the ruling on an employee praying inside a government office, given that he is near a mosque?
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The questioner : In one of the government offices, or in some place, there is a prayer area where most of them pray, but there are some categories of people who pray individually or in small groups. What is the ruling on this?
The Shaykh : Yes, first: we ask these government offices: is it possible for them to go out to the nearby mosques around them, or not?
If it is possible for them to go out to the nearby mosques around them without disrupting work, then it is obligatory for them to pray in the mosque, because the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars is that congregational prayer must be in the mosques. Even though some scholars say: the obligation is the congregation, whether it is in the mosque, the house, or the office.
And if it is not possible for them to go out to the mosques because of their distance, or if it is feared that if they go out to the mosque they will disperse or play around, as some of them do when they go out, they go to their homes and do not return, or if they go out the work is disrupted because the work is heavy and it is affected if they go to the mosque, then they pray in the office in this case, because maintaining the obligation of the job is an obligation that it is not permissible to neglect. And if we say that they pray in their office, the obligation is that they all gather behind one imam if possible. If that is not possible, each floor prays on its own floor; the people of one floor gather in one place and pray.
The questioner : Is there a spacious place designated for them to pray in?
The Shaykh : Yes, a spacious place where they pray.
The questioner : But some individuals, five or six, pray individually?
The Shaykh : This is not permissible, and it is obligatory for them to pray all together.
The questioner : Some of them complain about the smell of the drink, so some of the students wear the drink all day, and the smell of the drink is offensive?
The Shaykh : All of this is an excuse and a pretext that is not valid.
The Shaykh : Yes, first: we ask these government offices: is it possible for them to go out to the nearby mosques around them, or not?
If it is possible for them to go out to the nearby mosques around them without disrupting work, then it is obligatory for them to pray in the mosque, because the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars is that congregational prayer must be in the mosques. Even though some scholars say: the obligation is the congregation, whether it is in the mosque, the house, or the office.
And if it is not possible for them to go out to the mosques because of their distance, or if it is feared that if they go out to the mosque they will disperse or play around, as some of them do when they go out, they go to their homes and do not return, or if they go out the work is disrupted because the work is heavy and it is affected if they go to the mosque, then they pray in the office in this case, because maintaining the obligation of the job is an obligation that it is not permissible to neglect. And if we say that they pray in their office, the obligation is that they all gather behind one imam if possible. If that is not possible, each floor prays on its own floor; the people of one floor gather in one place and pray.
The questioner : Is there a spacious place designated for them to pray in?
The Shaykh : Yes, a spacious place where they pray.
The questioner : But some individuals, five or six, pray individually?
The Shaykh : This is not permissible, and it is obligatory for them to pray all together.
The questioner : Some of them complain about the smell of the drink, so some of the students wear the drink all day, and the smell of the drink is offensive?
The Shaykh : All of this is an excuse and a pretext that is not valid.