Praying ‘Asr before its due time because of work
13-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
I work in a restaurant in the U.K. and I work for two days a week, non-stop (i.e. without any breaks) and thus, I cannot pray ‘Asr at its due time (on these days). I cannot perform prayers during working hours in this non-Muslim country, so I pray ‘Asr one hour before its due time. Is it permissible for me to do so? Advise me in this regard. May Allaah Reward you with good on behalf of the Muslims.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Muslims should perform the obligatory prayers at their due time. Allaah The Exalted Prescribed for each prayer a beginning and an end time. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.}[Quran 4:103]
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "There is no negligence in sleeping, but negligence lies in not praying a prayer until the time of the next prayer has come." [Muslim]
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, considered that delaying the prayer until the next prayer is due negligence, and this is impermissible except in certain circumstances during which there is a concession to delay prayers such as combining two prayers while travelling.
If the questioner cannot perform the obligatory prayers at their due times in this non-Muslim country, he should leave it and move to a country where he can freely establish his religion.