• Prayers: A time-related duty
If a person does not offer Asr prayer until Maghrib has fallen due, should he offer Asr prayer after he has finished Maghrib as qadha? Some people say it is not necessary, because its time is over. Please explain.
God describes prayer in the Qur'an as a "time-related obligation". In other words, each prayer has a range of time in which it must be offered. If it is not offered in that period of time, and there is no valid reason for such a lack of performance, then it cannot be offered after its time had lapsed. A sin has been committed and there is no way to mend it.
If we were to say that prayer could be offered after its time had gone, then how can we explain that prayer is a time-related duty? What would we mean by its being time-related? The only meaning is that it is a duty which must be fulfilled within a specified time. If the time is gone, how can it be fulfilled?
The word qadha means "compensatory". But there is simply no compensation involved here. There is a sin that has been committed. I realize that many scholars speak of this compensation as the way out. Weighing up the evidence in support of their argument, I feel I cannot subscribe to it. I find that there is still stronger evidence in support of the view I have explained. When a prayer is missed without a valid reason, then it cannot be compensated for. The only way to deal with that situation is to repent, resolve not to miss a single prayer again and seek God's forgiveness for that sin.
Perhaps it is useful to add that there are certain relaxations with regard to the timings of prayers. For example, when we travel we may combine Dhuhr with Asr at any time from the beginning of the period of Dhuhr to the end of Asr prayer. We can also combine Maghrib with Isha at any time during the range for both prayers. Also, when there is a good reason which prevents a person from offering prayer, he may combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha even in his hometown. What he should guard against is making that a habit. I must make it very clear that this is a concession under exceptional circumstances.
Other than this, the only justification for offering a prayer after its time has elapsed is if a person sleeps through the time of a prayer or loses consciousness, or if he forgets it altogether. In any of these cases, he can offer that prayer when he is fully aware of it. In this we rely on a Hadith which states: "He who sleeps through a prayer or forgets it should offer it when he is aware of it, because that is its time." Therefore, if you wake up in the morning after the sun has arisen, you proceed immediately to prepare yourself for prayer and offer it straight-away. That is its time. You should not busy yourself with anything else, like shaving or dressing up, etc. Proceed to offer it straight-away [after preparing yourself for the prayer only.]
• Prayers: Advanced on a rainy day
Is there any tradition or Hadith concerning the advancing of Isha prayer so as to combine it with Maghrib on a rainy day? I have only seen this after I have come to work in Saudi Arabia. Please explain.
As you are well aware, Islam is a religion that is easy to follow. It does not wish to afflict people. When it rains, particularly in an area like the Arabian Peninsula, roads become muddy and inconvenient to walk. Hence, when it rains, Muslims are given the concession that they need not attend the congregational prayer in the mosque. Furthermore, if they are in the mosque, and they are offering Maghrib prayer when it is rainy, they may bring forward Isha prayer and offer it with Maghrib so that they do not have to come again to the mosque. If rain is pouring down at the time of Maghrib prayer, then the person who is making the call should announce that people may pray where they are.
An authentic report related by Al-Bukhari quotes Abdullah ibn Al-Harith as saying: "Ibn Abbas gave us a sermon on a day with mild rain and mud. When the Athan was called and the person saying the Athan reached the phrase, "hay ala assalah", which means "hasten to prayer", he ordered him to say in a loud voice: "Pray where you are." Those who were present looked at one another, so he said: "This was done by people who were better than this man. It is an action of strong resolve."
It may be suggested that in our modern cities, rain does not cause much mud. There is no doubt, however, that it is still very inconvenient to walk in the rain. The concession is there to follow. Hence, we need not hesitate about benefiting by this concession. If it is raining, we need not go to the mosque for the congregational prayer. If we are in the mosque and it rains, then we may advance Isha and join it with Maghrib so that we do not go out twice on a rainy night.
• Prayers: Allergy and Fajr prayer
I suffer from acute allergy, particularly in cold weather. This means in practice that I cannot take a shower early in the morning, as it is very likely that I would have problems after that. What should I do if I need to take a shower after a wet dream? I often delay Fajr prayer until late in the day, when taking a shower causes no problem. Am I right in doing so, or should I offer my Fajr prayer without taking a shower?
Prayer is a time related duty, as it is described in the Qur’an. This means that every prayer has a time when it must be offered. If its time lapses, it is not possible to offer that prayer, except in certain situations, such as forgetfulness, unconsciousness and being engaged in battle [or certain other conditions when consciously advancing or deferring only to combine is permitted]. In all other conditions, prayer must be offered during the time specified for it. In your case, there is no question of a license to delay the Fajr prayer, because you are aware of it and you can offer it on time. Your difficulty in performing the necessary ablution, which is a shower in the case of intercourse or a wet dream. In this case the concession God has given us to exercise when water is scarce or harmful apply to you.
God has allowed us the concession of dry ablution, or Tayammum, to replace either wudhu or ghusl, i.e. both ordinary and grand ablution, in case of water scarcity or illness which makes the use of water inadvisable. To do the Tayammum, one selects a place of clean earth, or a place where dust gathers. This may be a piece of furniture, or a carpet, or it may be the floor in one’s home, or a place in open ground. It should be a clean place, where no impurity has fallen. One strikes twice with one’s hands, shakes the dust and wipes one’s hands shakes the dust and wipes one’s face and one’s arms after these strikes. He then offers his prayers normally. In your case where the difficulty concerns the ghusl, but not the wudhu, you should perform the wudhu and the Tayammum for Fajr prayer. Later in the day, say when you come back from work, you take your shower, and offer your prayers normally. You do not need to repeat the Fajr prayer after you have taken your shower.
May I stress to all my readers that when they have a practical problem, they should seek advice from a scholar. That is because there are solutions and concession, which God has kindly, given us, so that the difficulties that we may encounter in life do not stand between us and performing our worship duties. We should not try to find solutions on our own, because God’s solution is always better and easier to follow, as this reader will undoubtedly acknowledge.