I work in the USA at a convenience store. I don’t get the opportunity to do my prayers at a mosque. Accordingly, do I still have to pray the Sunnah prayers even though I’m praying at the store?
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is necessary to make an effort to offer the sunnah muakkadah prayers. These are the prayers which Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalaam) invariably performed and left out occasionally. One who neglects these prayers persistently will be sinful.
Umm Habibah (Radiyallahu Anha) said that she heard Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) say: “There is no Muslim servant of Allah who prays twelve rak’ahs from other than the obligatory prayer except that Allah makes for him a house in Paradise.” (Muslim)
These twelve rak’ahs are referring to the sunnah muakkadah prayers which are the four rak’ahs before the fard of dhuhr and the two after, two rak’ahs after the fard of maghrib, two rak’ahs after the fard of isha, and finally the two rak’ahs before the fard of fajr.
You must try to schedule a break while working where you will have enough time to perform wudu and salah comfortably. If another employee is working with you, kindly ask the person if they can take over for a few minutes while you pray. Again, one must remember that making a habit of neglecting the sunnah muakkadah prayers is a sin.
عن ام حبيبة زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم انها سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول ما من عبد مسلم يصلي لله كل يوم ثنتى عشرة ركعة تطوعا غيل فريضة الا بنى الله له بيتا في الجنة
(Sahih Muslim, 1/251, Qadimi Kutub)
And Allāh knows best.
Muftī Asif Umar
Washington, DC (USA)
Concurred by:
Muftī Abrar Mirza
Chicago, IL (USA)
Under the Supervision of Muftī Ebrahim Desai (South Africa)
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