Ruling on preventing workers from attending the Friday prayer
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Q484: The questioner, A. A., of Egyptian nationality, working in the Najran region, says: I work on a farm, and when the time for the Friday prayer arrives, the owner of the farm prevents me from going to the Friday prayer on the grounds of work. Should I leave it off based on his wish? I feel regret and remorse for leaving it, but I have no choice but to obey him. Does he have the right to do this? And is there a sin on me for consistently leaving the congregation? Also, does he not sin by preventing me from praying?
A484: It is obligatory for the Muslim to preserve the five daily prayers and the Friday prayer by performing them in congregation in the mosques. The pursuit of worldly matters or the pursuit of a livelihood does not divert him from this. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Jumu'ah 62:9], and He said: [An-Nur 24:36-37]. Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to perform the prayers in congregation and in the mosques. Likewise, attendance at the Friday prayer is emphasized, and it is obligatory for the Muslim to perform it. It is not permissible for a Muslim to prevent the workers who work for him from performing the prayer; it is forbidden for him to do so. It is not permissible for the workers to obey him in this, because there is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator. Performing the prayer in the mosque is excluded from the duration of the lease by Shari'ah; the lessee has no right to claim it. The right belongs to the Muslim to go to the prayer and pray, whether his lessor is pleased or not, because this is the right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), which is obligatory for you to fulfill. You must perform the prayer and not pay attention to the one who prevents you from the Friday prayer. If he refuses to do anything but prevent you, you have one of two options: either you bring his matter to the authority in your area to take action against him, or you go to another Muslim who allows you to perform your prayer. However, it is also obligatory for them not to exploit this to waste the time for which they were hired. The reason for them may be that they do not waste his time beyond the amount of the prayer, and not more than its time, only as much as is needed to perform the prayer. They are granted a dispensation for that, but not for what exceeds it. He may prevent them from the excess that they have no need for in performing the prayer.
whether his lessor is pleased or not, because this is the right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), which is obligatory for you to fulfill. You must perform the prayer and not pay attention to the one who prevents you from the Friday prayer. If he refuses to do anything but prevent you, you have one of two options: either you bring his matter to the authority in your area to take action against him, or you go to another Muslim who allows you to perform your prayer. However, it is also obligatory for them not to exploit this to waste the time for which they were hired. The reason for them may be that they do not waste his time beyond the amount of the prayer, and not more than its time, only as much as is needed to perform the prayer. They are granted a dispensation for that, but not for what exceeds it. He may prevent them from the excess that they have no need for in performing the prayer.
A484: It is obligatory for the Muslim to preserve the five daily prayers and the Friday prayer by performing them in congregation in the mosques. The pursuit of worldly matters or the pursuit of a livelihood does not divert him from this. Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلاَةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ(36) [Such niches are] in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings (37) [Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about -
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ (36) رِجَالٌ لاَ تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلاَ بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُwhether his lessor is pleased or not, because this is the right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), which is obligatory for you to fulfill. You must perform the prayer and not pay attention to the one who prevents you from the Friday prayer. If he refuses to do anything but prevent you, you have one of two options: either you bring his matter to the authority in your area to take action against him, or you go to another Muslim who allows you to perform your prayer. However, it is also obligatory for them not to exploit this to waste the time for which they were hired. The reason for them may be that they do not waste his time beyond the amount of the prayer, and not more than its time, only as much as is needed to perform the prayer. They are granted a dispensation for that, but not for what exceeds it. He may prevent them from the excess that they have no need for in performing the prayer.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.