Is It Permissible to Delay Maghrib Prayer and Breaking the Fast Because of a Lesson?
Question: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته If a dars take place till 7:30pm, when magrib prayer happens, and the brothers delay the magrib salah as the dars has not finished yet. Is it permissible for them to not attend the salah in the masjid, instead pray in jama'ah with each other afterwards? Is it permissible to delay breaking one's fast, as well, until the dars is over? What is the correct rulling on these? جزاك الله خيرا
Summary:
A religious lesson should not continue in a manner that leads to missing the Maghrib prayer with the congregation in the masjid, because the prayer is more emphasized and greater in importance than the lesson. Men who are able and for whom attending the congregation in the masjid is obligatory must attend the congregational prayer in the masjid, and then return to complete the lesson after the prayer. As for the fasting person, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast as soon as the sun sets, even if only with a date or some water, and then go to the prayer. He should not delay breaking the fast until the lesson ends, because the Prophet ﷺ encouraged hastening to break the fast.
Answer:
First: Delaying the Maghrib Prayer Because of the Lesson
From the Qur'an:
- [al-Nisa: 103]
“Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at specified times.”
Congregational prayer in the masjid is obligatory upon able men according to the stronger view, due to the hadith,
From the Sunnah:
- Narrated by Muslim.It is authentically reported in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه, that a blind man sought permission from the Prophet ﷺ to pray in his home. He said to him:
“Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said: “Yes.” He ﷺ said: “Then respond to it.”
- The Two SahihsIt is also authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said regarding those who stayed away from the congregational prayer:
“I had intended to command that the prayer be established, then command a man to lead the people in prayer, then depart with men carrying bundles of firewood to people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses over them with fire.” Agreed upon.
Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله cited these two hadiths as evidence for the obligation of congregational prayer in the masajid.
From the Scholars:
- For this reason, Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله said in the fatwa “Clarification of the Cases in Which It Is Permissible to Delay the Prayers”:
“The individual is not permitted to delay it. Rather, he must hasten and rush to the prayer with the congregation, and it is not permissible for him to delay.”
- And in the fatwa “The Ruling on Leaving the Congregational Prayer Because of Work,”
Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله was asked about leaving the congregational prayer in the masjid because of work. He stated that if the masjid is close to the men, then they are required to pray in the masjid and should not pray at the workplace. However, if they are far from the masjid, there is no harm in them praying in congregation at their location.
This confirms that the mere continuation of a lesson is not an excuse for leaving the congregational prayer in the masjid. Rather, the lesson should be arranged so that it stops at the adhan, those who are fasting break their fast lightly, then the men go to the masjid, and after the prayer the lesson resumes.
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله was also asked in a fatwa concerning delaying the congregational prayer because of a lesson about a student whose studies continued after the prayer time had entered.
He stated that congregational prayer is obligatory, and if the student would not suffer harm by leaving the classroom, then he must pray with the congregation. He only permitted otherwise when there was a valid and considerable harm.
However, if the masjid is far away, or there is a valid Shariah excuse for not going to it, then they may pray in congregation at their location. But they should not make the lesson a regular reason for delaying the prayer.
Second: Delaying Breaking the Fast Until the Lesson Ends
From the Qur'an:
- [al-Baqarah: 187]
“Then complete the fast until the night.”
From the Sunnah:
- The Two SahihsIt is reported from Sahl bin Sad رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The people will continue to be upon goodness so long as they hasten to break the fast.” Agreed upon.
- Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.And from Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the night approaches from here, the day retreats from here, and the sun has set, then the fasting person has broken his fast.”
From the Scholars:
- For this reason, Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله said in the fatwa “The Virtue of Hastening to Break the Fast”:
“The Sunnah for the fasting person is to hasten to break the fast when the sun sets... He prays Maghrib at the beginning of its time and breaks his fast at the beginning of the time before he prays. This is the Sunnah.”
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله also said in the fatwa “Hastening to Break the Fast”:
“It is Sunnah for him to hasten to break the fast, and the evidence for that is his ﷺ saying: ‘The people will continue to be upon goodness so long as they hasten to break the fast.’”
Therefore, if the sun sets while the lesson is still continuing, the Sunnah is that they should not delay breaking the fast, for example until 7:30. Rather, they should stop the lesson at sunset, and the fasting person should break his fast with a date or some water, then they should pray Maghrib. After that, they may resume the lesson and continue their meal.
Conclusion: The lesson should not be made a reason for leaving the congregational prayer in the masjid or delaying it. The obligatory acts are given precedence over a lesson of knowledge. Whoever is required to attend the congregation in the masjid should go to it and then return to the lesson. If there is a valid excuse for not attending the masjid, then they may pray in congregation at their location within the prayer time. Likewise, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast immediately upon sunset, and it should not be delayed until the lesson ends. They should break their fast with something light, then pray Maghrib, and afterward complete the lesson and their meal. This is what accords with the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ in hastening to break the fast and maintaining the prayer at the beginning of its time with the congregation.
And Allah knows best.
← Back to QuestionsRelated Answers
Delaying Isha Prayer
Is delaying isha prayer from the sunnah
Raising the Voice in Takbir after Prayer
What is the ruling on raising the voice in takbir after the prayer, as reported in the hadith of Ibn Abbas?
Is It Permissible to Pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid Before Maghrib Adhan?
Is it permissible to pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (the greeting of the mosque) before the Maghrib adhan, or is this time considered one of the disliked times for prayer? May Allah reward you with goodness.
The Four Times Hands Are Raised During Prayer According to the Sunnah
What are the times when it is recommended to raise the hands during prayer, whether these practices are forgotten or still known? Should I raise my hands while sitting?
Ruling on Establishing a Second Congregational Prayer in the Mosque
Is it permissible to establish a second congregational prayer in the mosque after the first congregation has finished, if some people arrive late and establish another congregation. What are the views of the Salaf and the scholars regarding this issue. Who said it is permissible, and who said it is not permissible. What is the strongest opinion in this matter.
The Ruling on Delaying Iftar for the Fasting Person
What is the ruling on delaying Iftar? We have heard that delaying it is forbidden, as some misguided groups do today. But when I read some narrations, I found that the Companions used to break their fast after the Maghrib prayer. Narrated by Imam Behayqi via his own chain from Hameed bin Abdur Rahman bin Awf who said : Omar bin Khattab and Uthman bin Affan both used to pray Maghrib Prayer first when there used to be Dark Night before breaking fast. Then after this they used to Break their Fast [in Ramadhan]. And I have seen other narrations aswell. Similarly, these people also mention Quran 2:187 -- وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ -- They say that "ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ " here means that we cannot eat until its clearly the night. So how can we know the time of Iftar today? In Saudi Arabia, during the azan of maghrib when you see the sky, there is no sign of night. But in the Hadith it says “when night starts from this side”. Please tell us the proper time of Iftar and the response to those who present us with these narrations Jazakumullah.
The Expiation for Breaking an Oath: Feeding Ten Poor Persons or Fasting Three Days?
Salam wa alakium, what is the preferred ruling on breaking an oath fasting 3 days or feeding 10 people? Can the 3 days be split up or do they have to be consecutive? What should the cost come out to for feeding 10 people? JazakAllahu Khair
Is the Prayer of a Person Standing Alone in a Row Valid?
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته I have a question regarding a person praying alone in a row in Congregational Prayer. If a person from takbir to sujood prays alone, without anyone by his sides, is his prayer valid?. Also, if a person who is about to start a new row before joining the prayer sees that there is no one there to join him till he goes to sujood, should he wait until someone joins him to pray by his side or should he join the prayer by himself, starting a new row? جزاك الله خيرا
What Is Meant by Completely Abandoning the Prayer, and Does It Include Jumu'ah Prayer?
A person who abandons performing the Prayers completely is a disbeliever. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Between a man and disbelief – or polytheism – is discarding Prayers.” [Muslim I got the first part from islamweb.net. So my question is what meant by completely abondaning. Does it mean to completely not pray any prayer including Jummah prayer