the verse was: 2:239
but i wa snot sure if i was going it right.. apart from trying to mentally genuflect in my head, - i found that hard to do, i settled on praising God with Al Fatiha and just generally reciting Alhamdullahi/Subhannallahi...
so i set about asking someone what He did, and TG he was able to give me his own view as well as otherw views. so i thought to share it with you..
I have blocked peoples names as i have not saught permission before posting their names...
so forgive me.. the message is as i have recieved it but i leave out the names
start of email:
question : community_discussion@yahoogroups.com 08/03/2004 12:15 ]
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Salaam All,
My concern today is how to pray in an office ?
I think that I can pray at my desk mentally as suggested by the following verse :
[2:239] Under unusual circumstances, you may pray while walking or riding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate GOD as He taught you what you never knew.
But when I pray this way, I don't know but I don't really have the feeling that I have correctly performed my contact prayer. The problem is that I work in an office from 9 a.m to 6 p.m and there is no masjid (no mosque following God alone) in the neighbourhood. At the break for lunch, I sometimes managed to pray Noon Prayer in a quiet place on the top floor (no company there). But this is not always possible for Afternoon Prayer. So what would you do ?
Thanks in advance.
*****"
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[ ***** answer : community_discussion@yahoogroups.com 08/03/2004 18:38 ]
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Salaam alaikum *****,
[29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.* GOD knows everything you do.
[20:14] "I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.
These verses tell us that the most important objective of Salat is to remember God. As you pointed out 2:239 suggests that if we have unusual circumstances we can pray at the desk. Not only there is no sin in doing that, but you have fulfilled the most important objective of remembering God.
Naturally, if we had a choice, we'd pray it doing all the movements inshaAllah. Also, it is humans who tend to make things difficult - but God makes the religion easy.
Peace and may God bless
*****"
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[ ***** : community_discussion@yahoogroups.com 10/03/2004 06:02 ]
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Salaam,
I have trouble with this sometimes too, I feel sometimes im in a car ride perhaps and i cant make it home in time to pray, I do what I can. At work I even take off time to pray. I know God says that you may pray on foot if you need to, but I thought that was during a war? Doesn't God say leave all business to pray? Im not too sure, could someone explain it to me God willing? Thank you
"
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[ ***** answer : community_discussion@yahoogroups.com 08/03/2004 18:38 ]
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Salaam alaikum,
The unusual circumstances & salat verse is 2:239. Personally, i dont think it's about war. It's any unusual circumstance. Perhaps you're thinking of the verses where it says you may shorten the prayer if you fear the enemy may attack you (4:101). Leaving business is specifically for the Friday
You Shall Observe the Contact Prayers*
[2:238] You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and **devote yourselves totally to GOD**.
[2:239] Under **unusual circumstances**, you may pray while walking or riding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate GOD as He taught you what you never knew.
God is Merciful. We are not. God makes things easy, we make it harder.
peace and may God bless
*****"
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[ ***** answer : community_discussion@yahoogroups.com 11/03/2004 08:09 ]
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Salaam alaikum,
God explicitly tells us to drop all business and observe the Friday Prayer in:
62:9
Khalifa
O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu`ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of GOD, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew.
With regard to regular prayers, I look at 62:9 in the light of other verses, including the following:
24:37
Khalifa
People who are not distracted by business or trade from commemorating GOD; they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they are conscious of the day when the minds and the eyes will be horrified.
However, I have experienced that there are 2 issues facing anyone who is trying to observe contact prayers at work:
1) Finding and making the time for prayer and still being fair to the employer who is paying for your time,
and
2) Finding a quiet, preferably abandoned place to observe prayer in privacy.
As far as #1 goes, I've never met or heard of an employer who was uncomfortable with an employee's need to pray 5 times a day after they have been given an explination. Just sit down with them and explain that it is a religious requirement, that it does not take more than 5 minutes, which is less than the average bathroom break. Usually they are happy to accomodate and respectful of someone who has the strength of faith to want to observe daily prayers.
#2 may or may not be the more difficult one. Most of the time, in the conversation with the employer, you can request a place that they know of to be empty, or permission to use a storage room or office that is otherwise off limits to most employees, thus giving you privacy. If not, I have used restrooms (with a prayer rug), slightly hidden corridors, break rooms, and even elevators. It has been my experience that God opens a door and makes it easy when you put your mind to it and decide to do something that seems difficult for Him. He makes the religion easy. We make it difficult.
God bless you & make it easy for you,
Peace,
*****"
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"
Salaam *****,
If one has to apply 2:239, how can one perform the salat (i mean without the movements) ? Do we have to recite the key loudly ?
Thanks and God bless you,
*****
"
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"
Salaam *****,
I guess it depends on what the unusual circumstances is, and we have to use our common sense. You can try from silently to loudly based on whether you are with others, such as in a plane, or you are alone. Probably the best thing next to silent recitation is to have your recitation audible to yourself, In any case, God knows our innermost intentions and He never puts any of our righteous works into waste.
Peace and God bless you
*****
"
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From all this, this is what i do : I concentrate to forgot everything around for about 5 mn.
I silently recite the key (to myself... cos i am in an office with other colleagues) and mentally do the movements (i mean bowing, prostration) and all that must be said silently. I repeat this for each rakat and then say the final salaams.
Hope that you will learn something from this :-)
Of course, God knows best. And may He guide us in the right path.
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End of Email
FOr me it is now a bit clearer, God knows my intentions and i do agree with one of the writers, God does find a way and provides a place for one...
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