Is it permissible to combine prayers in a prayer hall?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Is it permissible to combine prayers in a prayer hall, meaning a prayer hall in a garage where they pray? They might pray four times there, which are the work hours from Dhuhr to Isha. As for Fajr, they do not pray there. It is a prayer hall where neither Jumu'ah nor the regular voluntary prayers are performed, meaning the rawatib?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : It is not permissible to combine prayers there.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I mean, once we caught up with the Maghrib prayer and we prayed in Zarqa in a garage complex. There was a prayer hall, and they were combining prayers. I do not remember whether we combined or not. We only prayed Isha with them, or did they combine Maghrib?
The Shaykh : In any case, here we have a picture.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : If there is a prayer hall that resembles a mosque, meaning people come to it from their homes and their shops—and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings—those who come to it may combine prayers, on the condition that there is no mosque, or at least that there is no mosque they are obligated to attend. Is the distinction clear?
The questioner : Clear, O Shaykh. This prayer hall is not visited except by the employees of the garage group. All of this means that on Friday, the prayer is not held there. The prayer is held there.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The prayer is not held there.
The Shaykh : ... Look at what I intended.
The questioner : As for the people around it, they do not visit it.
The Shaykh : I intended that there is a prayer hall that is like a mosque, visited by people as a mosque is visited by people to pray in congregation, because they do not have a mosque. But a prayer hall, as you mentioned in your first statement, a prayer hall in an office, these people are not exposed to rain or cold or anything. It is not permissible for them to combine prayers. But if it is a prayer hall that is visited by other people in the heat, cold, frost, snow, rain, and so on, and there is no mosque they are obligated to go to and visit, then in that case, this prayer hall is treated like a mosque. Is that clear?
The student : Yes, it is clear, because the Shaykh says if the prayer hall takes the place of a mosque.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: Yes, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : It is not permissible to combine prayers there.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I mean, once we caught up with the Maghrib prayer and we prayed in Zarqa in a garage complex. There was a prayer hall, and they were combining prayers. I do not remember whether we combined or not. We only prayed Isha with them, or did they combine Maghrib?
The Shaykh : In any case, here we have a picture.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : If there is a prayer hall that resembles a mosque, meaning people come to it from their homes and their shops—and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings—those who come to it may combine prayers, on the condition that there is no mosque, or at least that there is no mosque they are obligated to attend. Is the distinction clear?
The questioner : Clear, O Shaykh. This prayer hall is not visited except by the employees of the garage group. All of this means that on Friday, the prayer is not held there. The prayer is held there.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The prayer is not held there.
The Shaykh : ... Look at what I intended.
The questioner : As for the people around it, they do not visit it.
The Shaykh : I intended that there is a prayer hall that is like a mosque, visited by people as a mosque is visited by people to pray in congregation, because they do not have a mosque. But a prayer hall, as you mentioned in your first statement, a prayer hall in an office, these people are not exposed to rain or cold or anything. It is not permissible for them to combine prayers. But if it is a prayer hall that is visited by other people in the heat, cold, frost, snow, rain, and so on, and there is no mosque they are obligated to go to and visit, then in that case, this prayer hall is treated like a mosque. Is that clear?
The student : Yes, it is clear, because the Shaykh says if the prayer hall takes the place of a mosque.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: Yes, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.