Is it Permissible to Delay Prayers or Miss Them in These Cases?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I have a sick grandfather who is in hospital in another city. Here in my city, the Dhuhr prayer is at 1 p.m. I wanted to go and visit him tomorrow, but because my dad is working the night shift, we have to go earlier so that he can rest when we return. It takes an hour and a half to get to his hospital. We are supposed to go around noon, but I am scared I will miss Dhuhr since Asr is around 5 p.m.; what should I do?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
It seems that from the time you have mentioned, you will be able to perform your Dhuhr prayer, either on the way while traveling, at a motor service, even at the hospital, or on the way back. I am sure they would allow you to perform the prayers in one corner if there is no prayer facility. Just prepare before you leave to be in a state of wudu, and have a water bottle for wudu, and a comfortable prayer mat. As long as you perform your prayers within the time, you will be fine.
Dhuhr Prayer – It is recommended to pray the Dhuhr prayer when the mid-day heat begins to cool, and the shadows are long enough to walk to the mosque in the shade of the surrounding buildings.
Asr Prayer – It is recommended to pray Asr prayer just before the strength of the sun’s rays weakens.
[‘Ala al-Din ‘Abidin, Al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
