A relative of mine attends to her religious duties except for prayer. She says that she cannot concentrate on her prayer. She says that she knows that she is doing wrong but hopes to be forgiven by God, because He knows her heart. No amount of advice and admonition has been enough to make her change her mind. Please advise.
No one should consider it his duty to make this young woman pray. Even her parents are required to do no more than to advise and remind her. The duty is hers to fulfill. If she fails to do it, she bears the consequences.
Having said that, I should add that her relatives and friends should continue to remind her of her duty, but they should take a different approach. They should clarify her misconceptions. A prayer is not only acceptable when the worshiper fully concentrates on it, without any distractions, it is acceptable, and rewarded by God, even when the worshiper experiences much distraction. If distractions were to nullify prayers, then none of us would be able to claim to have offered more than a few prayers a year. All of us may be distracted. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was also distracted on some occasions. Moreover, God would not have legislated for forgetfulness in prayer if that would have rendered it invalid.
1. It is said that Osman, the third Caliph, was the one who offered prayers in the normal length at Arafat. He stated that as a resident of Makkah, he could not shorten and combine prayers. I also understand that to combine Zuhr and Asr prayers at Arafat is not obligatory but recommended. Hence, those pilgrims who offer these prayers in the mosques under the leadership of the appointed Imam are required to offer Zuhr & Asr, one after the other. Those who pray in their tents should preferably offer them at their proper timings. This is because prayer is a time-related duty. With the number of pilgrims being as it is these days, it is not practicable that all pilgrims offer their prayers with the Imam. Please comment.
2. If a person is starting a journey just when Zuhr prayer has fallen due, is it permissible for him to join Asr prayer with it before he starts his travel?
1. When we speak about pilgrimage it is very important to understand that pilgrimage is a special duty, which must be done according to a certain fashion. God tells us in the Qur’an that “pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to God by Mankind.” But pilgrimage includes duties that are done outside the Haram, (which is here a reference to the Ka’abah and the Haram area surrounding it). If one omits these duties, his pilgrimage is both incomplete and invalid. What this means in practical terms is that although pilgrimage is essentially made to the Ka’abah, the first temple even to be consecrated for the worship of God, it is much broader in scope than a simple visit. God tells us about certain duties, which we have to perform during pilgrimage, but these are only the essentials which, if omitted, render pilgrimage invalid.
This is the same as in the case of prayers. In the Qur’an, God tells us on a number of occasions that we must attend regularly to our prayers. The Qur’an, however, does not tell us how to pray, although it refers to certain aspects of prayer. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has told us how and when to pray. He also pointed out to us the frequency of our prayers and the time range of each prayer, etc. He distinguishes between what is a duty and what is recommended in prayer. Moreover, he has given us a great statement, which refers everything concerning prayer to him: “Pray in the same manner as you have seen me pray.” The comprehensive statement means that we have to follow the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in prayer. The practical result of this is that you do not see any differences in the basics of prayers between Muslims. They all pray in the same manner with the same intention, in order to achieve the same purpose. Prayer is, therefore, a mark of the unity of the Muslim nation. Anyone who denies any essential part of prayer, such as claiming that prayer need not be offered five times a day, or that it is less than seventeen obligatory Rak’ahs a day, does not belong to the nation of Islam.
On pilgrimage, the Prophet, peace be upon him, has given us a similar statement, truly broad in scope. As he started on his own pilgrimage, he said to his companions and through them to all believers in Islam: “Learn your rituals from me.” His companions who went with him on pilgrimage recorded for us his journey step by step, action by action, word by word. Therefore, when we know that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has done a particular action of pilgrimage in a certain fashion, we should follow his example unless he has made it clear that something else is equally good. We know, for example, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, took his position in Arafat near the prominent rocks. But he told us that it was simply a position he has chosen and that every spot in Arafat is equally good. Therefore, we gain nothing trying to determine where exactly the Prophet, peace be upon him, stopped at Arafat in order to take our position there. The divine care manifested in the Prophet’s statement is absolutely clear. Imagine what would have happened if a significant proportion of the two million pilgrims who attend every year at Arafat nowadays try to determine the exact spot where the Prophet, peace be upon him, stayed at Arafat and scramble to get there first. Where matters could be done without difficulty, the Prophet’s companions and later scholars have pointed out advantage to be gained by doing exactly like the Prophet. We find someone like Abdullah Ibn Omar, a great scholar among the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, taking a shower in his subsequent pilgrimage at the same spot where he saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, taking his shower. Although the Prophet, peace be upon him, might have done this for the sake of cleanliness, following his example earns reward. Therefore, Ibn Omar did it.
What we should know, however, is that what relates to worship in pilgrimage should be done as the Prophet, peace be upon him, did it. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered his prayers at Arafat, he combined Zuhr with Asr, offering each one in the shortened form of two Rak’ahs. Therefore, the proper way to offer prayers at Arafat is to combine these two prayers as the Prophet, peace be upon him, did. To do otherwise is to do it wrongly.
I would like to make this very clear. Everyone, even residents in Makkah offer their prayers at Arafat in combination, starting with Zuhr, and then, as soon as they finish Zuhr they follow it with Asr. One Athan (call to prayer) and two Iqamahs are recommended. When Prophet, peace be upon him, did this, all those who were residents in Makkah and who joined him on his pilgrimage did like he did. The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not point out to them that they should do otherwise. Hence, it is not right for anyone to object to this combination. Indeed, the reverse is true. Those schools of thought, which do not allow combination of prayers, do require the combination at Arafat. What you stated in your letter about Osman, the third Caliph, is wrong. He used to combine the prayers at Arafat, although he did not shorten them.
Shortening of prayers at Arafat is not required of those who are residents in Makkah according to several schools of thought. Some scholars like Imam Ibn Taimiyah and Imam Malik consider that shortening prayers also applies to them. What Osman did is to offer the prayers combined in the normal length. He married a woman from Makkah, and therefore he considered himself one of its residents.
No one should find this strange. As I say, pilgrimage must be offered in the same fashion as the Prophet, peace be upon him, offered it. On leaving Arafat, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked about Maghrib prayer. He made it clear to everyone who asked him that Maghrib should be offered later on, at a specified spot he was aiming to reach. When he arrived at Muzdalifah, he offered Maghrib and combined it with Isha’. Therefore, if any pilgrim offers Maghrib at Arafat, his prayer is not valid. He should wait until he arrives at Muzdalifah. What this signifies is that although prayer is valid anywhere in the world, since the whole earth is considered a place of worship for Muslims, on the day of Arafat, Maghrib and Isha’ must be offered by pilgrims only at Muzdalifah. Those who are doing certain services during pilgrimage without offering the pilgrimage themselves can offer Maghrib at Arafat or anywhere else. But pilgrims must wait until they reach Muzdalifah when Maghrib prayer becomes due. If they do it before that, it is not valid.
2. If a person is about to start travel and the time for Asr is not due yet; he may offer Asr prayer together with Zuhr prayer, without shortening either prayer. That is perfectly appropriate. Indeed, it is advisable, particularly if he knows that it will be difficult for him to offer Asr prayer on time during travel, either because there is no place to do so at the airport or the station, and he would not arrive before Maghrib. It is better than offering this prayer on the train or the plane, or whatever means of transport he is using. ~
It is said that combining two prayers when one is resident and not traveling is permissible. May I ask whether this is true? Is it applicable to a newly wed couple who may need to take a shower more than once if they are to attend to their five obligatory prayers at their regular times?
The Prophet once combined two prayers when he was neither ill nor traveling. His companions explained his aim was to make things easier for his followers. Scholars explain that this is a concession, which is permissible to use when needed, provided that it does not become a habit. Today, we find that this concession is extremely useful for people who live in northern areas when the day is very short and the time range for each prayer is too short. If you are living in a non-Muslim country, where there are only a few mosques, and you need to go out for some business, you may be unable to attend to all your prayers on time. Using this concession becomes very useful.
But you must be careful that you do not develop a habit of combining prayers. The prayers that may be thus combined are Dhuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and Isha. You can combine each two at the time of either one of them.
As for the situation you have mentioned, I think if the couple is reasonable in their approach, they will not need this concession. They only need to manage their time properly.