Does one who is waiting for his turn at a clinic, for example, have an excuse for missing the congregational prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. If a person is waiting, for example, for his turn with a doctor or for an appointment, and the prayer time arrives while the appointment, clinic, or company does not close during the prayer time, and he is waiting for his turn, say for an hour or half an hour, then if he goes to pray, he might miss his turn.
The Shaykh : Meaning, it affects him?
The questioner : Yes, his turn passes him by.
The Shaykh : There is no harm. This person who is waiting for his turn has an excuse for missing the congregational prayer, as I said, because if he goes to pray, first, he will be praying while his mind is preoccupied, is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Second, he will suffer harm, and perhaps he came from a long distance. In this case, he has an excuse for missing the congregational prayer. And if a person’s dinner or lunch is served, we tell him: sit and eat your lunch or dinner with comfort and tranquility, even if you miss the prayer, and even though 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar was among the most scrupulous people in his adherence to the Sunnah, yet he would eat his dinner while praying, and the imam was praying, in accordance with the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): Riyad as-Salihin 1753 Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. A second question.
The Shaykh : Meaning, it affects him?
The questioner : Yes, his turn passes him by.
The Shaykh : There is no harm. This person who is waiting for his turn has an excuse for missing the congregational prayer, as I said, because if he goes to pray, first, he will be praying while his mind is preoccupied, is that not so?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Second, he will suffer harm, and perhaps he came from a long distance. In this case, he has an excuse for missing the congregational prayer. And if a person’s dinner or lunch is served, we tell him: sit and eat your lunch or dinner with comfort and tranquility, even if you miss the prayer, and
Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) used to eat his dinner in his house while listening to the recitation of the imam.
كان ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما كان يتعشى في بيته وهو يسمع قراءة الإمامNo Salat (prayer) should be performed when the food has been served, nor should it be performed when a person is in need of relieving himself.
لا صلاة بحضرة طعام ولا وهو يدافعه الأخبثانThe questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. A second question.