Excuses that permit absence from the congregational prayer
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Our brother asks and says: What are the excuses that permit a Muslim to be absent from attending the congregational prayer in the mosque?
Answer: The scholars have mentioned several excuses. Among them is illness, if a person is sick and it is difficult for him to go out. Among them is fear, if he is in a land where there is fear, such that if he goes out he fears for his safety. Among them is the presence of one of the two impurities, urine or feces, where he is absent in order to relieve himself. If this state of impurity befalls him and it is not possible for him to go out to relieve himself, and he misses the congregation, he is excused. However, he should try to manage his time beforehand so that he is free for the congregation. But if he intends to go out and then the incident of urine or feces befalls him, he is commanded to rid himself of them, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 560a.
Among them is if food is placed before him, he should start with it. He should not make it a habit to serve food in order to be absent from the prayer. No. But if it is placed before him in his home or at the home of someone he has hosted, he should start with the food even if he misses the congregation.
These are among the excuses. Among them is if he is far away and cannot hear the call to prayer, meaning the mosques are far from him and he cannot hear the call; this is also an excuse. However, if he can hear the call, he is obligated to respond via the normal voice. As for via the loudspeakers, he may hear from far away, but he is not obligated to respond because he is far. But if it is by the normal voice without a loudspeaker, and he can hear it when the voices are quiet, he is obligated to respond, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 2:308. Or if he is in the town, he should respond, because if the voices in the town were quiet, he would hear it. So he should respond and pray with the people, and not delay. Yes.
Answer: The scholars have mentioned several excuses. Among them is illness, if a person is sick and it is difficult for him to go out. Among them is fear, if he is in a land where there is fear, such that if he goes out he fears for his safety. Among them is the presence of one of the two impurities, urine or feces, where he is absent in order to relieve himself. If this state of impurity befalls him and it is not possible for him to go out to relieve himself, and he misses the congregation, he is excused. However, he should try to manage his time beforehand so that he is free for the congregation. But if he intends to go out and then the incident of urine or feces befalls him, he is commanded to rid himself of them, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
No prayer can be (rightly said) when the food is there (before the worshipper), or when he is prompted by the call of nature.
لا صلاة بحضرة الطعام ولا وهو يدافع الأخبثانAmong them is if food is placed before him, he should start with it. He should not make it a habit to serve food in order to be absent from the prayer. No. But if it is placed before him in his home or at the home of someone he has hosted, he should start with the food even if he misses the congregation.
These are among the excuses. Among them is if he is far away and cannot hear the call to prayer, meaning the mosques are far from him and he cannot hear the call; this is also an excuse. However, if he can hear the call, he is obligated to respond via the normal voice. As for via the loudspeakers, he may hear from far away, but he is not obligated to respond because he is far. But if it is by the normal voice without a loudspeaker, and he can hear it when the voices are quiet, he is obligated to respond, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يأت فلا صلاة له إلا من عذر
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.