Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamalaikum.
I am a doctor, a pediatric intesivist(rare speciality). I was working as consultant pediatric intensivist in Hyderabad in one the biggest children's Hospital in India called rainbow Hospital at banjara Hills. I had a roaring practice Alhamdulillah, and the so called "cream" of the "society' was patient.I was doing very well in the Children's Intensive care as well.I used to go to the hospital at 8AM and back home by 11pm night. every day i used to miss fajr Prayer hence I used to pray fajr at 7:30am before leaving for job. I used to manage Zuhr by 2pm , praying alone in the hospital and even Asr at around 5pm same like Zuhr, without jamaat.

I never used to get time to pray maghrib in time, so whenever I used to return home 11pm or even 2am in night sometimes if some child was sick in the ICU.I uswed to combine Maghrib and Isha and pray in nights 11pm to 2am depending upon when I return home.

In last 3 1/2 yrs I always made suer that some how I ALWAYS pray the five prayers , although not as per the stipulated timing, but the way I mentioned above.

Allah is witness I may have misse hardly 10 to 20 prayers in last 3 1/2 years.

I was not regular i prayers, but after performing haj and many Umrahs while my stay in KSA during 2001 to 2004 I got strict in prayers , grew some beard and tried to stick to the religeon as far as possible.I worked honestly and never took "cuts" for seeing patients. Alhamdulillah my career was growing by leaps and bonds and I was quite famous in my city. BUT I was not comfortable about praying the five prayers the way I mentioned above. I thought I should go back to KSA and pray there in time, and the success in my career in India may be a trial from allah to see whether I get blinded by it.

I applied for a job in KSA, and got an offer in jeddah. The owner offered good salary and perks, so I made isthikara. After isthikara I saw three dreams all clearly indicating that I shall be happy in jeddah.But still, due to my very success ful practice in hyderabad, I decided not to go to jeddah.Then I saw one more dream and this was like a clear sign that I must leave for jeddah.In the mean time i had an accident and my new Honda car got badly damaged.I took it as a sign from allah and left my job in hyderabad and arrived here in jeddah.

But to my surprise, this job was all fales.I was promised that I shall be working in a "hospital" in ICU, because thats my main specialisation. But here its a small polyclininc, and their hospital is still under construction since last 3 years and may take another 1 yr to complete.The locality where it is, is also not promising.The hospital owner who recruited me is of poor character, and has refused many perks he promised me earlier in india. even my job timings are odd and I am struggling to pray Fajr in time as i return late at night from work.Of course , rest of the prayers I am managing in time, but that too with struggle, because there is no masjid inside this small polyclinic!!they pray in the corridor on carpet ad many times, I miss the prayer when I am seeing a patient, and then I pray inside my room only!!!

I am surprised and shocked with what i have got here!!

I dont know what to say about those dreams I saw after isthikara.

I am depressed and keep crying in isolation, as I ruined my successful career and now trapped in this place.My passport and all the original certificates are with the owner and he is known to be a wicked man.in last one year more than 10 doctors have already left him due to his hostile behaviour.

I always used to think that amongst Muslims, there are  enough daa'is, and what muslims need now, is action.We need educated people who do something which is monumental and inspires others to take interest in our religeon.Thats why I wanted to work hard and set an example of what a Muslim can acheive inspite of being a "practicing" Muslim.But here, I am surprised to see how far the Muslims have fallen morally.Its so easy for an arab muslim, who knows and understands Quraan so well, but still be a liar and unjust!!exactly opposite to what Quraan teaches.I dont agree that this is due to illetracy.Quraan is the best education guide as far as morality and sociality is concerned.And these arabs understand the language of quraan.they dont need to be further 'educated'.

I can resign and go back to india, but will that be proper?? Will I be punished by allah for not being patient??

If I stay here for 2 or 3 years, then I shall never regain anything I lost in India, and even here the kind of small hospital this man is building, my work here will also not be up to any standard.

Please advise me if it will be sinful returning to india??

Wheteher it is alright to pray fajr at 7am, and combinig maghrib and isha everyda and praying them late night because I am busy in the day time??

Please do not disclose my identity to others and reply at this mail only.

Thanks for being patient and for reading the whole mail.

Jazakallah Khairan

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Prayer on time

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Please advise me if it will be sinful returning to india??

Respected brother in Islam, if your employer has made a breach of contract, or if you have fulfilled your period of your employment contract, you are absolutely at liberty to employ your talents wherever you will and please.

Your Question: Wheteher it is alright to pray fajr at 7am, and combinig maghrib and isha everyda and praying them late night because I am busy in the day time??

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:

Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed by the believers at (their) appointed times.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 45-46:

45 Nay seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and ‘salaah’: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a lowly spirit.

46 Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him.

Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas reported that the Prophet (saws) one day mentioned the prayer and said, "Whoever guards and observes his prayer, they (his prayers) will be a light and a proof and a savior for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever does not guard and obvserve them, they will not be a light or a proof or a savior for him. On the Day of Resurrection, he will be with Qarun, Fir'aun, Haman and Ubayy ibn Khalf."

Related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani and Ibn Hibban.

A man came to the Prophet (saws) and said “ O Prophet of Allah (saws), what is the act or deed most loved by Allah?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “To pray ones prayers on time.”

The man asked further: “What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “Obedience to ones parents.”

The man asked further: “What (deed or act most loved by Allah) next?”

The Prophet (saws) replied: “Jihaad in the Way of Allah.”

Related by Bukhari.

Intentionally missing or delaying one’s obligatory prayer is not even given as an option in the deen of Islam! If one accidentally or unintentionally misses or delays one’s prayer through sleep or forgetfulness, one should pray it as soon as one wakes up or remembers it.

Whoever sleeps through or has forgotten to pray a certain prayer should pray it when he wakes up or remembers the prayer. Abu Qatadah related that sleeping through the prayer time was mentioned to the Prophet (saws) and he said, "There is no negligence in sleep, but negligence occurs while one is awake. If one of you forgets a prayer or sleeps through its time, then he should pray it when he remembers it."

Related by an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmidhi.

Anas related that the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers it, and there is no expiation for it save that."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Intentionally delaying or missing the offering of one’s obligatory prayer beyond its appointed time is not even an option for a believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan