Illness that causes hardship
Illness is an excuse when it prevents going out or makes attending the prayer clearly difficult. This includes sickness where leaving the house brings strain, worsens the condition, or causes real difficulty. In such a case, the obligation of Jumuah and the congregational salah falls away because the Sharia is built on ability and removal of hardship. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/310–312)
Fear of becoming ill
Fear of illness is an excuse when it is real and grounded, such as a person who knows from experience that cold air, damp conditions, or weakness will likely make him sick. This applies to a normal and reasonable fear, not imagined harm or waswas (whispers from shaytaan). (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/312–313)
Resisting urine, feces, or severe wind
Holding back urine or feces is an excuse because it forces the person into strain and occupies the heart away from the prayer. Severe wind also enters here when it causes intense discomfort, swelling, or pressure. The prayer itself is harmed by loss of calmness and presence of heart, and preserving the prayer takes priority over attending Jumuah or the congregation in such a state. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/313–315)
Food present while there is need
When food is present and a person needs it, such as one who is hungry, eating first is an excuse so that the heart becomes settled and free from distraction. This is limited by conditions: the person must be able to eat at that time, it must not be turned into a habit, and it does not apply where eating is not allowed, such as before iftar while fasting. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/315–317)
Fear of loss, escape, or damage of wealth
Fear for one’s wealth is an excuse when leaving it unattended would likely lead to loss, theft, or damage. This includes animals escaping, stolen property, lost items slipping away again, or food burning if left. The underlying cause is the heart remaining occupied and unsettled throughout the prayer. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/317–319)
Fear of death of a close relative
If a close relative is at the point of death and there is fear of their passing while one is absent, remaining with them is an excuse. This includes being present for urgent needs such as prompting the testimony of faith and similar matters that cannot be delayed. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/319)
Fear of harm to oneself
Fear of physical harm is an excuse when it is real and apparent, such as danger from an attacking animal, harmful terrain, sharp objects, or conditions that would worsen wounds. The Sharia does not require exposing oneself to harm in order to attend Jumuah or the congregation. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/319–321)
Fear from an oppressive authority
Fear of unjust harm from a ruler is an excuse when there is real concern of being seized, imprisoned, fined, or harmed. This applies only where the action is oppressive. If the authority is pursuing a rightful claim, then missing Jumuah and the congregation is not justified, as it would involve neglecting both the right of Allah and the right of people. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/321–322)
Being pursued by a creditor while unable to repay
A person pursued by a creditor while genuinely having nothing is excused due to the pressure and harm involved. If repayment is possible, then the excuse does not apply. Where a strong authority would restrain the creditor, the excuse weakens, but where authority is weak or biased, the excuse remains clear. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/322–324)
Fear of missing the travel group
Fear of missing one’s travel group is an excuse because it leads to loss of purpose and intense distraction of the heart. This applies equally to travel for worship such as Umrah, Hajj, or seeking knowledge, and to permissible travel such as trade and similar journeys. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/324–325)
Overpowering sleepiness
Overwhelming sleepiness is an excuse when it reaches the point that the person would not know what he is saying in prayer. Sleeping until alertness returns and then praying preserves the meaning, awareness, and reality of the prayer. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/325–326)
Harm from rain or mud
Rain is an excuse when it causes real harm such as soaked clothing, cold, or difficulty in movement. Mud is an excuse when it brings exhaustion or slipping, especially where roads are unpaved. Light rain that causes no harm is not an excuse, and slight hardship carries reward. When rain stops, the excuse may end, while in unpaved areas the hardship may remain. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/326–328)
Severe cold wind
Cold wind is an excuse when it is both cold and severe, bringing genuine hardship. Light wind does not carry the same ruling, and hot wind brings no hardship. The consideration is hardship itself, not darkness of the night. Severe cold often adds further difficulty, such as frequent need to relieve oneself and hardship in wudu with very cold water, especially where water heating is not available. (Sharh al Mumtiʿ, Ibn Uthaymeen 4/328–329)
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: As for the congregational prayer, the disagreement concerning it has already preceded, and the stronger view is that it is an individual obligation, but its level of emphasis is not like the emphasis of the Friday prayer.
Even so, both of these prayers fall away due to a valid excuse. Excuses are of different types.
His statement: “A sick person is excused from leaving the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer.” This is one type of excuse.
What is meant by this is an illness that causes the sick person hardship if he were to go out to pray, and this is the first type.
Its evidence is as follows.
Allah the Exalted said: “So fear Allah as much as you are able” (al Taghabun: 16).
And He said: “Allah does not burden a being except with what it can bear” (al Baqarah: 286).
And He the Exalted said: “There is no blame upon the blind, nor upon the lame, nor upon the sick” (al Fath: 17).
And the Prophet ﷺ said: “When I command you with something, then do of it what you are able.”
All of these evidences show that the obligation of the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer is lifted from the sick person.
His statement: “And the one who is holding back one of the two filthy matters.” This is a second type by which a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer.
The words “holding back” show that a person is forcing himself to push away one of the two filthy matters.
The two filthy matters are urine and feces, and wind also comes under them, because some people have gases that swell their stomach and make it very hard for them, and it can be harder for them than holding back urine and feces The evidence for that is what follows.
First: The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no prayer when food is present, and not when a person is resisting the two filthy matters.” (Sahih Muslim 560a). The negation here carries the meaning of prohibition, meaning do not pray when food is present, and do not pray while resisting the two filthy matters.
Second: Resisting them means the heart becomes occupied away from the prayer, and this is a flaw within the act of worship itself, whereas missing the congregation is a flaw connected to something outside the act of worship, because the congregation is obligatory for the prayer.
Preserving what is connected to the prayer itself is more deserving than preserving what is connected to something outside it. For this reason we say: preserving the prayer with calmness and a present heart is more deserving than attending the congregation or the Friday prayer.
Third: Holding back these two filthy matters while resisting them harms the body in a clear way, because Allah, Exalted is He, made the exit of these two matters a relief for the person. If he holds them in, then this goes against the natural way a person was created upon.
This is a medical principle: everything that goes against nature will bring harm back upon the body. From here the harms of pills that women use in order to hold back menstruation become clear, because their harm is very apparent, and doctors have testified to it.
His statement: “And the one who is in the presence of food that he needs.” This is a third type, so a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer if food is present and he needs it, but on the condition that he is able to eat it.
An example is a man who is hungry and food is brought to him while he hears the iqamah. He is between two matters: if he goes to the masjid his heart will be occupied with the food because of his hunger, but if he eats he becomes calm and his hunger is satisfied. So we say: eat, and there is no harm.
Even though Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما was among the strongest people in holding firmly to the Sunnah.
So, if the evening meal is present, then eat, even if the prayer has been established.
Is the eating only to the extent that your strong craving breaks, or can you eat until you are full?
We say: you may eat until you are full, because the concession is general: “If the evening meal is served, then begin with it before you pray Maghrib.”
It is also required that he is able to eat it. If he is not able, such as if he is fasting and food for iftar is present, and the adhan is called for Asr while he needs to eat, then he is not allowed to delay Asr until he breaks his fast and eats, because this food is forbidden for him by the Sharia, even if he strongly desires it.
There must also be another restriction, which is that he does not make this a habit, such that the evening meal is not brought except when the prayer is close to being established, because if he makes this a habit then he has deliberately chosen to leave the prayer. But if it happens without him making it a habit, then he begins with the food that is present, whether it is dinner or lunch.
His statement: “And one who fears the loss of his wealth, or it slipping away, or being harmed.”
This is a fourth type by which a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer. Meaning, if he has wealth and he fears that if he goes it will be stolen, or he has an animal and he fears that if he goes to the prayer it will run away and be lost, then he is excused in this case from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, because if he goes and prays his heart will be occupied with that wealth which he fears will be lost.
Likewise, if he fears it slipping away, such as a person who lost his animal and it was said to him: your animal is in such and such a place, and the prayer time came, and he feared that if he goes to pray the Friday prayer or the congregational prayer the animal would leave the place where it was said to be, then he fears it slipping away, so he may miss the prayer and go to his wealth in order to catch it.
Also from that is: if he fears harm to it, such as a person who put bread into the oven and the prayer was established. If he goes to pray, the bread will burn, so he may miss the congregational prayer so that his wealth is not lost by burning.
The reason is the occupation of the heart. But the baker should be instructed to watch the time of the iqamah, so he does not put the bread into the oven at that time.
The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that there is no difference between valuable wealth and small wealth that is not regarded as anything, because he spoke generally and said: fear of the loss of his wealth. It may be said: a difference is made between valuable wealth that matters, and small wealth, specifically regarding the Jummah Prayer, because if the congregation of the Friday prayer is missed it is not made up, rather one prays Dhuhr instead, whereas in prayers other than Friday, if the congregation is missed one still prays the prayer itself as it is.
His statement: “Or the death of his close relative.” This is a fifth type by which a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer: that he fears the death of his close relative while he is not present. Meaning, the person is in the throes of death, and he fears that he will die while he is not present, and he loves to remain with him to prompt him with the testimony of faith, and similar things. This is an excuse.
His statement: “Or harm to himself.” This is a sixth type by which a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer. It is that he fears harm to himself from the matters mentioned by the author, such as harm because there is a biting dog by his house and he fears that if he goes out it will bite him. So he may pray in his house, and there is no harm upon him.
Likewise, if on his path to the masjid there is something that harms him, such as not having shoes while the road is full of thorns or full of pieces of glass, then this harms him, so he is excused from missing the congregation and the Friday prayer.
Likewise, if he has wounds and he fears harm from a smell that would increase his wound, then he is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer.
His statement: “Or a ruler.” Meaning, if he fears for himself from a ruler, such as that an oppressive leader seeks him and searches for him, and he fears that if he goes out he will seize him and imprison him, or fine him, or harm him, or similar things, then in this case he is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, because there is harm upon him.
But if the ruler takes him with a right that is due, then he is not allowed to miss the congregation or the Friday prayer, because if he misses them in that case he has dropped two rights: the right of Allah in the congregation and the Friday prayer, and the right that the ruler is demanding from him.
His statement: “Or being pursued by a creditor while having nothing with him.” This is a seventh type by which a person is excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer: that he has a creditor who demands repayment and stays with him, while he has no money.
This is an excuse, because of the harm that reaches him from the creditor staying with him. But if he has something with which he can repay, then he has no right to miss the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, because if he misses them in that case he has dropped two rights: the right of Allah in the congregation and the Friday prayer, and the right of the person in being repaid.
An issue: If he has a deferred debt, but the creditor stays with him, does he have the right to miss the prayer?
The answer: one looks. If the authority is strong such that if he complained to the authority they would restrain the creditor from him, then he is not excused, because he can present a complaint to the authority. But if the authority is not strong, or it favours the man and does not restrain him from staying with his debtor, then this is an excuse without doubt.
His statement: “Or fear of missing one’s travelling party.” This is an eighth type from the excuses for missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer. If he fears missing the travelling party, then this is an excuse for two reasons.
The first: he would lose his purpose of travelling with the party if he waits for the prayer with the congregation or the Friday prayer.
The second: his heart becomes greatly occupied. If he hears his companions preparing to depart while he is praying, he becomes very anxious. So if you fear missing the travelling party, then you are excused from missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer.
There is no difference between the travel being travel for obedience or permissible travel. Travel for obedience is like travel for Umrah or Hajj or seeking knowledge, and permissible travel is like travel for trade and similar things.
His statement: “Or overpowering sleepiness.” This is a ninth type from the excuses for missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer. If sleepiness overpowers him, then he is excused from missing them. An example is a man who is exhausted due to work or travel, and sleepiness comes over him. He is between two matters.
Either he goes and prays with the congregation while being overcome by sleepiness, not knowing what he is saying.
Or he sleeps until the sleepiness goes away, then he prays.
So we say: do the second, because you are excused.
His statement: “Or harm due to rain or mud.” This is a tenth type from the excuses for missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer.
So if he fears harm due to rain or mud, meaning if the sky is raining and if he goes out to the Friday prayer or the congregational prayer he will be harmed by the rain, then he is excused.
Harm from rain is that he is harmed by his clothes becoming soaked, or by the cold of the weather, or similar things. Likewise if he fears harm from mud. People in earlier times suffered from mud because marketplaces were earth, and rain would make them muddy and slippery, so the person would be exhausted by coming to the masjid.
If this happens, then he is excused. But in our time, mud does not usually cause harm because marketplaces are paved, and there is no soil. At most, you might find pooled rainwater in some low places, and a person is not harmed by that, neither in his clothes nor his feet. So the excuse in a case like this is only when the rain is falling.
It is understood from his statement: “Or harm due to rain” that if he is not harmed by it, such as if it is light rain, then he has no excuse. Rather, he must attend, and whatever light hardship reaches him, he will be rewarded for it.
His statement: “And due to a cold, severe wind on a dark night.” This is an eleventh type from the excuses for missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, and it is wind, with conditions.
The first: that the wind is cold, because hot wind does not have harm or hardship. Cold winds for us in this region are those that come from the north, because we are now closer to the North Pole than to the South Pole. In the southern part of the earth, cold winds are those that come from the south.
The second: that it is severe, because light wind has no hardship or harm, even if it is cold. So if the winds are cold and severe, then it is an excuse without doubt, because it hurts more than the pain of rain.
The third: that it is on a dark night. This condition has no evidence, because the hadith they used as evidence, which is the hadith of Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما about the cold night or the rainy night, does not mention a condition that the night must be dark.
Also, darkness or light has no effect in this matter. Darkness does not increase the cold of the weather, and a clear sky does not increase warmth at night.
So the correct view is that if there is a cold, severe wind that causes hardship to people, then it is an excuse for missing the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer. It is more deserving than the excuse for being harmed by rain.
This is known by the one who experiences it. Along with this, hardship in cold is joined by another hardship, which is that in cold the passing of urine often increases, so the person becomes burdened by it.
If he makes wudu, wudu becomes difficult for him with the cold, especially in earlier times when there were no heaters to warm the water. Sometimes the water would be extremely cold. So for this reason we say: since the reason is hardship, hardship is found in cold, severe wind. As for light, ordinary wind, or hot wind, then there is no hardship in it.
A note: his statement “on a dark night” does not apply to the Friday prayer, and this supports what we mentioned about not making darkness a condition. And Allah knows best.
Sharh Al Mumti (8/310-319)
