An employee working in shifts, where his shift may fall on Friday, causing him to miss the Friday prayer, and sometimes he may miss more than two consecutive Fridays; is there a dispensation for him?
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The questioner : He says that he is an employee working in shifts, and his shift may fall on Friday, causing him to miss the Friday prayer, and sometimes he may miss more than two consecutive Fridays. Is there a dispensation for this employee, given that he cannot leave this job due to the scarcity of jobs, which are the source of livelihood? We ask for your guidance.
The Shaykh : This job that he referred to undoubtedly has two benefits: a private benefit and a public benefit.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : As for the private benefit, it is what he mentioned, that it is his source of livelihood, and livelihood is from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but it is a cause.
The second point is that it preserves security and the public interest to which it is directed. It is known that if people were to abandon these interests, disorder would occur in security, and perhaps there would be hardship in livelihood if the sources of livelihood in the country are few. Therefore, he is excused for missing the Friday prayer and does not sin by doing so. However, it is recommended that those responsible for these workers who work in shifts, as the questioner mentioned, make the matter rotational, such that a group of them prays Friday in this week, and another group prays it in the second week, and so on, because that is justice, so that a person does not remain one who always leaves the Friday prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener M M from Riyadh sent this question, saying: I direct my question to the honorable Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen.
The Shaykh : This job that he referred to undoubtedly has two benefits: a private benefit and a public benefit.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : As for the private benefit, it is what he mentioned, that it is his source of livelihood, and livelihood is from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but it is a cause.
The second point is that it preserves security and the public interest to which it is directed. It is known that if people were to abandon these interests, disorder would occur in security, and perhaps there would be hardship in livelihood if the sources of livelihood in the country are few. Therefore, he is excused for missing the Friday prayer and does not sin by doing so. However, it is recommended that those responsible for these workers who work in shifts, as the questioner mentioned, make the matter rotational, such that a group of them prays Friday in this week, and another group prays it in the second week, and so on, because that is justice, so that a person does not remain one who always leaves the Friday prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener M M from Riyadh sent this question, saying: I direct my question to the honorable Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen.