Request:
Assalamu Alaikum respected scholars,
I am a working mother and asking for permission to be exempted from five daily fard prayers, as I am in a position where I have to do a very demanding and high pressure job with lots of overtime and come home tired and late, often with more work to be by morning. Because of the circumstances, I cannot do other work or leave work.My daughter disturbs my sleep in the night, so I don’t get a good nights rest, and my marriage is very much at jeopardy. I therefore want to abandon my prayers for as long as these stressful conditions go on, as I lose time in which I could either finish my work or recuperate and I find it very exhausting and I’m resenting to have to do the prayers. Please grant me permission to be exempted.
Thank you,
wa alaikum assalam
Response:
Wa`alaykumussalam
Thank you for highlighting this situation. The five daily prayer is the most important part of Islamic worship; this cannot be deliberately left regardless of the circumstances.
When it is not possible to pray standing, you must pray sitting down. If you cannot pray sitting down, then you must pray lying down on one side and move your body/limbs. If this is not possible, you must pray lying flat down. If you cannot move your arms whilst praying lying down, you must pray moving your head. If you cannot move your head, you must pray by moving your eyes. If you cannot move your eyes, you must pray in your heart. Such is the importance of the prayer that where in some circumstances the outward form of prayer may be relaxed, but the obligation to pray can never be lifted.
The 5 daily prayers may be exempted due to the following only:
– women during their monthly menstrual cycles (Haid)
– a woman who is in her post-natal bleeding period (Nifas)
– any person who is insane, or unconscious
May Allah makes it easy for you to continue with this daily obligation, perhaps He shall open ways to make easy your affairs.
Wassalam,
Abdul Shakur