Prayer is one of the most important pillars of Islam, as it is the greatest of the duties after the two testimonies. This is because it is one of the first acts of worship imposed by Allah SWT, and it is also the first act of worship for which a Muslim will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, every Muslim must perform it correctly as transmitted from the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, and learn about its pillars, duties and recommended acts. Therefore, many people wonder Where can a Muslim pray?
The place where it is recommended to pray differs between men and women. In this article, Sheikh Saleh Academy provides a detailed guide to knowing Where can a Muslim pray and the importance of praying in the mosque.
Is it mandatory to pray in a mosque?
Many Muslims want to know Where can a Muslim pray and is prayer in the mosque obligatory? There is a difference of opinion among scholars on this issue. Some of them believe that praying in the mosque is a Sunnah, which is the opinion of most scholars, meaning that they don’t see it as an individual obligation, and some of them believe that this matter is a Fard Kifayah, meaning that if some Muslims do it, there is no sin on the rest.
But there are many scholars who say that men must pray in the mosque in congregation as follows:
قالَ النَّبيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “مَن سَمِعَ النِّداءَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِ، فَلا صَلاةَ لَهُ إلَّا مِنْ عُذْرٍ.” قِيلَ لابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: ما هُوَ العُذْرُ؟ قالَ: “خَوْفٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ.”
Qāla al-Nabī (PBUH): “Man samiʿa al-nidāʾ fa-lam yaʾti fa-lā ṣalāta lahu illā min ʿudhr.” Qīla li-Ibn ʿAbbās: Mā huwa al-ʿudhr? Qāla: “Khawf aw maraḍ.”
The Prophet (PUBH) said:
“Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not come, there is no prayer for him except with an excuse.” It was asked to Ibn Abbas: What is the excuse? He replied: “Fear or illness.”
Therefore, according to this Madhab, praying in the mosque is obligatory, so every Muslim man must be keen to perform the prayer on time and to be concerned with achieving peace of mind. A man prays the five obligatory prayers in the mosque in congregation, and it’s recommended that he prays the Sunnah at home. If a man is sick, he can pray at home until he recovers. As for a woman, her prayer at home is better, and she can pray in congregation at home with other women.
أَتَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ أَعْمَى فَقَالَ: “يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِي قَائِدٌ يَقُودُنِي إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ”، فَسَأَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُرَخِّصَ لَهُ فَيُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ، فَلَمَّا وَلَّى دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ: “هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلَاةِ؟”، فَقَالَ: “نَعَمْ”. قَالَ: “فَأَجِبْ”.
A blind man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have no guide to lead me to the mosque.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave him permission to pray at home. When he turned to leave, the Prophet called him back and said, “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He replied, “Yes.” The Prophet said, “Then respond to it.”
This blind man is ibn Umm Maktūm.
The importance of praying in the mosque
If you are wondering where can a Muslim pray, it is permissible for a Muslim to pray in any clean place on earth except for some places that we will mention later. But the best of these places and the most beloved to Allah are the houses of Allah, i.e. mosques. The importance of praying in the mosque is that a Muslim receives reward and recompense from the beginning of his exit from his home heading to the mosque, as he receives good deeds and his sins are erased with every step he takes to the mosque. The angels also ask forgiveness for him when he is waiting for the prayer and when he finishes it.
A Muslim praying in a mosque also makes him feel good, is less prone to forgetfulness, and is safe from hypocrisy. This helps increase friendliness, intimacy, and cohesion among Muslims, which clearly answers the famous question of where Muslims pray.
قالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “مَن صَلَّى العِشَاءَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ، فَكَأَنَّمَا قَامَ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ، وَمَن صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ، فَكَأَنَّمَا صَلَّى اللَّيْلَ كُلَّهُ.”
Qāla Rasūl Allāh (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam): “Man ṣallā al-ʿishāʾ fī jamāʿah, fa-kaʾannamā qāma niṣfa al-layl, wa-man ṣallā al-ṣubḥ fī jamāʿah, fa-kaʾannamā ṣallā al-layla kullahu.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:”Whoever prays the ‘Isha prayer in congregation, it is as if he has stood (in prayer) for half the night. And whoever prays the Fajr prayer in congregation, it is as if he has prayed the entire night.”
Can Muslims pray in public?
It is permissible for a Muslim to pray in public, as he is permitted to pray in a public place if he fears that he will miss the prayer and doesn’t see any mosque nearby. He can also perform the prayer in the workplace, parks, etc. depending on the place he is in.
It’s required that the place where he prays is clean, and standing is an Obligatory Prayer (Salat al-Fard), so you must pray while standing as long as you don’t have an excuse, even if a woman is praying in front of foreign men. She must wear Shari’ah-compliant clothes and pray and not miss her prayer or combine two prayers for fear that men will see her.
Read more: Can a Muslim Pray for a Non Muslim?
Can a Muslim Pray in a Church or a Synagogue?
There are places where it isn’t right to pray daily, so some people wonder where do islam pray? It’s possible for a Muslim to pray in a church or other place of worship such as a synagogue when he is in dire need of it or in case of necessity, as long as this place is clean, but this is disliked by some scholars. It is important that a Muslim doesn’t become accustomed to these places so that he doesn’t fall into anything forbidden and his heart doesn’t become attached to what he sees of pictures and statues hanging in those places.
Also, one of the most important reasons for not preferring to pray in these places is that this doesn’t raise questions among non-Muslims who don’t know where a Muslim prays or believe that this religion is unclear and has no specific features. It is preferable for Muslims to strive to build mosques and pray in them even in Western countries. It is possible for a Muslim to pray in a public park, which is better than frequenting churches a lot if there is no mosque available to pray in.
Where Muslims can not pray in Islam?
After we have clarified Where can a Muslim pray, there are certain places where a Muslim shouldn’t pray, such as places where filth gathers, because these places are very dirty, and therefore a Muslim shouldn’t stand in the hands of Allah SWT. Also, a Muslim shouldn’t pray in the middle of the road, which is the road that people take and walk on continuously so as not to block people’s path, and so as not to be exposed to harm.
While if the road is deserted, it is permissible to pray on it, and it is also possible to pray on the side of the road so that it doesn’t obstruct the path of others. Among the places where prayer is prohibited are camel places; because it may be difficult for a Muslim to be humble in prayer.
Read more: how many times a day do Islam pray
Where Does the Quran Teach You How to Pray?
After we mentioned muslims pray where, we mention some Quranic verses in which the Quran teaches us how to perform prayer, and this is clearly shown in this Aya:
“أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا”
(الإسراء: 78)
“Aqimi al-ṣalāta li-dulūki al-shamsi ilā ghasaqi al-layl wa-qurʾāna al-fajr. Inna qurʾāna al-fajr kāna mashhūdan.”
(Al-Isra: 78)
“Perform the prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the recitation at dawn. Indeed, the recitation at dawn is ever witnessed.”
(Surah Al-Isra, 17:78)
Also, Allah Almighty specified the Qiblah for Muslims through this Aya:
“قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ”
(البقرة: 144)
“Qad narā taqalluba wajhika fī al-samāʾ, fa-lanuwalliyannaka qiblatan tarḍāhā, fa-walli wajhaka shaṭra al-masjid al-ḥarām, wa-ḥaythu mā kuntum fa-wallū wujūhakum shaṭrah. Wa-inna alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba layaʿlamūna annahu al-ḥaqqu min rabbihim, wa-mā Allāhu bi-ghāfilin ʿammā yaʿmalūn.”
(Al-Baqarah: 144)
“We certainly see the turning of your face toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:144)
Read more: Islamic prayer steps
What are the Forbidden places to pray at?
There are places where prayer is forbidden, such as cemeteries. The Prophet also forbade praying in a mosque built on a grave, which is something most scholars agree on. The bathroom is also one of the places where prayer is forbidden because the private parts of the persons are exposed there and demons are present in it.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: “لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ”.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.”
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلاَمُ: “أَلَا وَإِنَّ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ كَانُوا يَتَّخِذُونَ قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ وَصَالحِيهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ أَلَا فَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْقُبُورَ مَسَاجِدَ فَإِنِّي أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْ ذَٰلِكَ”. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي صَحِيحِهِ.
He also said: “Indeed, those before you used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship. Beware, do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you from that.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih).
We have confirmed where a Muslim should pray and which places it is forbidden to pray in because this is one of the most important things that every Muslim should be aware of.
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