Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/316)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

with which to pay, then he has no right to miss the Friday or congregational prayer. For if he misses them in this situation, he causes two rights to be neglected: Allah’s right concerning the congregational and Friday prayers, and the right of the person owed payment to have his due fulfilled.

Question: If he owes a debt whose payment is deferred, but his creditor persistently pursues him, may he stay behind?

Answer: This depends. If the authorities are sufficiently strong that, were he to complain to them, they would restrain the creditor from pursuing him, then he is not excused, because he has the right to lodge a complaint with the authorities. But if the authorities are not strong, or they show favoritism toward the man and thus do not prevent him from persistently pursuing his debtor, then this is undoubtedly an excuse.

“Or from missing his travelling companions, or being overcome by drowsiness, or harm from rain, mud, or a severely cold wind on a dark night.”

His statement, “or from missing his travelling companions”: this is the eighth category of those excused from missing the Friday and congregational prayers. If he fears missing his travelling companions, this is an excuse for two reasons:

The first reason is that he will miss the purpose for which he is travelling with them if he waits to pray the congregational or Friday prayer.

The second reason is that his heart will be greatly distracted. If he hears his companions preparing to depart while he is praying, he will become very anxious. Thus, if you fear missing your travelling companions, you are excused from missing the Friday and congregational prayers. There is no difference whether the journey is one of obedience or a permissible journey. A journey of obedience includes travelling for ‘umrah, Hajj, or the pursuit of knowledge; while a permissible journey includes travel for trade and the like.

His statement, “or being overcome by drowsiness”: this is the ninth category of those excused from missing the Friday and congregational prayers. If drowsiness overcomes a person, he is excused from missing the Friday and congregational prayers. An example is a man exhausted due to work or travel, such that drowsiness overtakes him, leaving him with two options:

فليس له الحَقُّ في تَرْكِ الجُمُعةِ والجماعةِ؛ لأنَّه إذا تركهما في هذه الحال أسقطَ حَقَّين: حَقَّ اللهِ في الجماعة والجُمُعةِ، وحَقَّ الآدميِّ في الوفاءِ. مسألة: إذا كان عليه دينٌ مؤجَّلٌ، لكن غريمه لازَمه فهل له أن يتخلَّفَ؟ الجواب: ينظر؛ فإن كانت السُّلطةُ قويةٌ بحيث لو اشتكاه على السُّلطة لمنعته منه، فهو غيرُ معذورٍ؛ لأنَّ له الحَقُّ أن يُقدِّمَ الشَّكوى إلى السُّلطةِ، أما إذا كانت السُّلطةُ ليست قويةً، أو أنها تحابي الرَّجُلَ فلا تمنعه مِن ملازمةِ غريمه، فهذا عُذرٌ بلا شَكٍّ. أَوْ مِنْ فَوَاتِ رُفْقَةٍ، أَوْ غَلَبَةِ نُعَاسٍ، أَوْ أَذًى بِمَطَرٍ، أَوْ وَحَلٍ وَبِرِيْحٍ بَارِدَةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُظْلِمَةٍ. قوله: «أو من فوات رفقة» هذا نوعٌ ثامنٌ من أعذار تَرْكِ الجُمُعةِ والجماعةِ، إذا كان يخشى من فوات الرُّفْقةِ وهذا عُذْرٌ لوجهين: الوجه الأول: أنه يفوت مقصده من الرفقة إذا انتظر الصَّلاةَ مع الجماعةِ أو الجُمعةِ. الوجه الثاني: أنه ينشغلُ قلبُه كثيراً، إذا سَمِعَ رفقته يتهيَّأون للسير وهو يُصلِّي فإنه يقلَقُ كثيراً، فإذا خِفْتَ فواتَ الرُّفقةِ فإنك معذورٌ بتَرْكِ الجُمُعةِ والجماعة، ولا فَرْقَ بين أن يكون السَّفرُ سفرَ طاعةٍ أو سفراً مباحاً، وسفر الطاعة كالسفر لعُمرةٍ أو حَجٍّ أو طلب عِلمٍ، والمباح كالسَّفر للتجارة ونحوها. قوله: «أو غلبة نعاس» هذا نوعٌ تاسعٌ من أعذارِ تَرْكِ الجُمُعةِ والجماعة؛ إذا غلبه النُّعاسُ فإنه يُعذرُ بتَرْكِ الجُمُعةِ والجماعةِ. مثال ذلك: رجل متعبٌ بسبب عَمَلٍ أو سَفَرٍ فأخذه النُّعاسُ فهو بين أمرين: