Question: Can I combine prayers in order to provide emotional support to someone in a critical medical condition?
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
In general, one should strive one’s hardest to pray on time.
However, the Hanbali scholars mention that one may join prayers for hardship (haja). These hardships general include everything that would allow one to skip going to Jumu’a (Kashaf al Qina, Bahuti).
Although this position does not exist in the Shafi’i school, it does resonate with the opinions of many Shafi’i who allow joining for need (haja). And the Shafi’i explicitly mention that giving emotional support to a patient is an excuse for missing Jumu’a (Bushra al Karim, Ba Ishn).
In your particular scenario, I do not see any problem with you joining prayers if it is genuinely difficult to leave the room while your loved one is in the hospital.
Please also: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/seeking-knowledge/joining-prayers-at-work/
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language