What if you can't/don't pray at the designated times?

[Grace Seeker]

How strictly interpreted is the command to offer salat 5 times a day?

A non-Muslim shared the following with me:

It's acceptable in Islam to 'store up' your prayer times and take care of all of them at once. It's acceptable to be late for prayer, but not early. So you can easily save up all your prayer times until the ones later in the day. While in Jordan I almost never saw anyone pull out a prayer mat during the day. Almost everyone just kept on their daily business when the call to prayer happened, they knew that they'd pray at one of the later times.

I had not heard this discussed before. Is it true that one can "store up" prayers as described here? If so, please explain what is involved in the process. If not, what a better explanation of this person's observations regarding the behaviors she personally witnessed while in Jordan?

 

[_ALI_]

Salam

How strictly interpreted is the command to offer salat 5 times a day?

That can be answered by Quran Chap 107 verse4-5
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٤﴾

4:So woe to the worshippers

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ﴿٥﴾

5:Who are neglectful of their prayers,

It's acceptable in Islam to 'store up' your prayer times and take care of all of them at once.It's acceptable to be late for prayer, but not early. So you can easily save up all your prayer times until the ones later in the day. While in Jordan I almost never saw anyone pull out a prayer mat during the day. Almost everyone just kept on their daily business when the call to prayer happened, they knew that they'd pray at one of the later times

Not really, however, if a muslim misses his/her prayers due to sleep or any other reason, then he/she can offer Kaza i.e offer that prayer which was neglected earlier. But missing a prayer or not offering it in time is a sin. But I think, though I am not sure, in some schools of thought, you can pray Zuhr and Asr together and you can pray Maghrib and Isha together.

 

[islamirama]

How strictly interpreted is the command to offer salat 5 times a day?

Invariably the hours of Salaah will be encountered during the times of business and work - and this is the real test of Imaan(faith). It is really a sign of true Imaan when a Muslim businessman suspends his business dealings and leaves his workplace to answer the call of Allah even during peak hours when customers surround him on all sides. Once Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiyallahu anhu} was in the shopping centre. It was time for Salaah and people stood up, closed their shops and proceeded to the Masjid. Hadrat Ibn Umar (Radiyallahu anhu} was delighted at seeing this and remarked, 'These are the people regarding whom this a ayah (in Surah an-Noor) was revealed: (Real) men whom neither trade nor merchandise distracts from the remembrance of Allah.’

Allah also says: Verily Salaah is compulsory on the Muslims at its prescribed time. (Surah an-Nisaa: 103)



Therefore, to read a Salaah other than at its prescribed time without a valid Shari' excuse, makes a person deserving of severe punishment. In Surah al-Maa-oon, referring specifically to the hypocrites, Allah warns them with destruction for neglecting their Salaah and not performing it on time.



Describing the successful Believers, Allah declares: They are those who are punctual in the performance of their Salaah. (Surah al-Mu'minoon: 9)

A non-Muslim shared the following with me:

I had not heard this discussed before. Is it true that one can "store up" prayers as described here? If so, please explain what is involved in the process. If not, what a better explanation of this person's observations regarding the behaviors she personally witnessed while in Jordan?

The Muslims of today are no example of Islam. Many of them are too culturally embedded to follow Islam properly and many lack Islamic knowledge to practice it properly. There is no such thing as 'storing up prayers", the best prayer is the prayer on it's designated time. The Prophet (pbuh) was asked one of the best deeds and he said salah on time.

 

[Silver]

They don't pray on time in Jordan? Well, here in Lebanon in the area where I live when everyone hears the adhan most shops are closed for a little while and people go to the mosque.
As for me, I used to neglect praying on time...but now I don't do that unless I am in class and I can't get out...u can say that i can leave but I really can't because the Dr. says a lot of things in just a few minutes so I have no choice.
Think about it, if it was really the same performing all of your prayers one after the other at night then why are they called salat al-fajr, al-dohr, 3asr, maghreb and 3icha??

 

[Grace Seeker]

Think about it, if it was really the same performing all of your prayers one after the other at night then why are they called salat al-fajr, al-dohr, 3asr, maghreb and 3icha??

Hey, I agree. But, given this experience, it is because I agree with your point that I had to ask the question.