Closing businesses at the time of salaah

· 18 Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1433 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

We are taught that at the time of salaah we should close our businesses and proceed to the musjid. What about those businesses that are extremely huge and require a lot of time to clear the customers out e.g. wholesalers, major supermarkets, factories, etc? Is it permissible for these businesses to remain open?

Answer

The question of a small or big business does not feature. When the azaan is called out, we are commanded to close our businesses and respond to the call of Allah Ta'ala. One should understand that sustenance comes from Allah Ta'ala, and if we are obedient to Allah Ta'ala then He will bless us with abundant barakah in our sustenance.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

رِجَالٌ ۙ لَّا تُلۡهیۡهمۡ تِجَارَةٌ وَّ لَا بَیۡعٌ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ اللّٰه وَ اِقَامِ الصَّلٰوة وَ اِیۡتَآءِ الزَّکٰوة ۪ۙ یَخَافُوۡنَ یَوۡمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِیۡه الۡقُلُوۡبُ وَ الۡاَبۡصَارُ (النور: ٣٧)

وَ مَا مِنۡ دَآبَّة فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا عَلَی اللّٰهِ رِزۡقُها وَ یَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّها وَ مُسۡتَوۡدَعَها ؕ کُلٌّ فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ (هود: ٦)

أما الإجابة فظاهر الخلاصة والفتاوى والتحفة وجوبها وقول الحلواني الإجابة بالقدم فلو أجاب بلسانه ولم يمش لا يكون مجيبا ولو كان في المسجد فليس عليه أن يجيب باللسان حاصله نفي وجوب الإجابة باللسان، وبه صرح جماعة وأنه مستحب (فتح القدير 1/248)

عن ابن أم مكتوم قال يا رسول الله إن المدينة كثيرة الهوام والسباع فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تسمع حي على الصلاة حي على الفلاح فحي هلا (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 553)

Answered by
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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