Can I offer my salah in women’s changing rooms ? The toilets are attached to the room but separated by a wall n a door, but since I live in a non Muslim country , many women are not properly dresses when they are out from shower and then change in the changing room ( separate area with curtains). The place where I want to offer my salah is like lockers area . So please advise if I can offer my salah in a corner in this changing room, which is attached to toilets and showers and women around are not properly dressed up.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Based upon the nature of the question, we have assumed the questioner is a female. Our response is based on this assumption.
In essence, it is permissible to perform salāh anywhere, provided the prerequisites be met. One of the conditions for salāh to be valid is that the place must be clean and free from any impurity.[1] In the enquired scenario, if one was to pray in the corner of a changing room which is free from impurity, the salāh would be valid. Regardless of this, as one is standing in front of Allah during salāh and is in direct communication with Allah, it is advisable that one pray in a decent place which is free from immorality.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdullah Ghadai
Student Darul Iftaa
Michigan, U.S.A
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] منحة السلوك في شرح تحفة الملوك (ص: 114)
أي الشرط الثاني: الطهارة، قوله: (طهارة المصلي ولباسه ومكانه: شرط) أما طهارة المصلي: فهي طهارة بدنه من الحدث والخبث، أما من الحدث: فلقوله تعالى: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ} [المائدة: 6]. وأما من الخبث: فلأن الصلاة مناجاة مع ربه، فيجب أن يكون على أحسن حال، وذا: في طهارته وطهارة ما يتصل به، وأما طهارة لباسه: فلقوله تعالى: {وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ} [المدثر: 4] وأما طهارة مكانه: فبالاقتضاء، لأنه إذا وجب في الثوب وجب في المكان بطريق الاقتضاء، لأنه ألزم للمصلي من الثوب، إذ لا وجود للمصلي بدونه.