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Praying in scattered groups in a workplace musalla

12-03-2002

Question 20150

I am working in a gas plant in saudi arabia. We have a small Musalla that we hold prayer at. The problem is that we do not hold prayer in congrigation. Scattered groups come to the Musallah in differnet times and hold prayers (Only Dhur and Asar prayers). We do not have a designated Imam nither do we have a set time to have one congrigation. We have tried several times to hold the prayer in one congrigation however we fialed and continued praying in scattered group.
Is holding prayer in this manner permisible?
It should be noted that our works can be stopped during prayer times since we are all doing an office work.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

The Muslim must pay attention to that which Allaah has enjoined upon him. Prayer in congregation is obligatory, but if it is not possible to pray in one jamaa’ah because of the demands of work, it is fine if you pray in a number of groups within the time specified for each prayer. You should strive to pray behind the regular imaam, and pray the prayers at the time specified by sharee’ah. If that is not possible, then the Muslim must fear Allaah as much as he can, after which Allaah does not burden any soul beyond what it can bear.

Congregational Prayer
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