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:

I HAVE BEEN RUNNING MY OWN BUSINESS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS IN AN ENGLISH AREA WHERE I HAVE TO KEEP MY SHOP OPEN FROM 9 TO 6, SINCE I HAVE OPENED THIS SHOP, I HAVE MISSED ALL MY FRIDAY PRAYERS. CUZ I DONT HAVE NAY OTHER EMPLOYEE, I HAVE TO ALWAYS BE IN THE SHOP AND I DONT WANT TO BE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SHOPKEEPERS IN THE AREA AS I HAVE HEARD WHEN YOU ARE AT THE ROME DO WHAT THE ROMANS DO? WHAT IS MY SIN HERE AND WHAT CAN I DO TO SLVE THIS?

(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:

Open shop during Friday prayers

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 62 Surah Jumuaa verses 9-11:

9 O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly) hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business: that is best for you if ye but knew!

10 And when the Prayer is finished then may ye disperse through the land and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.

11 But when they see some bargain or some amusement they disperse headlong to it and leave thee standing. Say: "The (blessing) from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain! And Allah is the Best to provide (for all needs)."

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, it is a direct and an absolutely obligatory command of Allah Subhanah on those who believe to assemble for the Remembrance of Allah during the Jumuaa (Friday) prayers. Allah Subhanah commands the believers to ‘hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business: that is best for you if ye but knew!’

Your Statement: AS I HAVE HEARD WHEN YOU ARE AT THE ROME DO WHAT THE ROMANS DO?

‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’ is a saying and invention of man, and not at all incumbent upon the believers, who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day! What is indeed absolutely and unconditionally incumbent upon the believers is what is said by Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws).

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5083 Narrated by Abu Dharr

Allah's Messenger (saws) said to him, "Fear Allah wherever you are”

Your Question: WHAT IS MY SIN HERE

Tariq ibn Shihab reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Al-Jumu'ah is a duty upon every Muslim in the community, save four: a slave, or a woman, or a child, or a person who is ill."

Abu Hurairah and Ibn 'Umar report that they heard the Prophet (saws) say: "Those who are not attending the Friday salah should change their ways; otherwise, Allah, the Exalted, will seal their hearts and they will be reckoned the heedless."

Related by Muslim, Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.

Abu al-Ja'd ad-Damari reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Whoever misses three Friday prayers in a row out of negligence will have a seal put over his heart by Allah."

Related by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood.

Your Question: WHAT CAN I DO TO SLVE THIS?

First and foremost, you must immediately seek the sincere repentance and forgiveness of Allah Subhanah for the disobedience to His Direct Command and missing all the obligatory Jumuaa prayers for almost two years.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54: (O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136: Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Secondly you must make a covenant with your Lord, that you will never ever intentionally miss any of the obligatory prayers.

Thirdly, since Allah has blessed you to own your own business, it is obligatory upon you to obey His Command ‘O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday, hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business: that is best for you if ye but knew!’

The scholars in Islam are absolutely unanimous in their opinion that if Allah has blessed one to own the business, then one has the obligation to close his business for the duration of the prayer and attend the Jumuaa gathering.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of being led astray.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan