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 was in my namaz in first rakat when my pet cock started shouting and i ran to the window to see as a rat came to have its food and when one of the cick was small a rat caught and had killed the chick and then i realised i was in namaz. I felt sad that i left the namaz. I again started my namaz. Please advice, what is right and wrong and what needs to be done in such circumstances.  

(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:

Left prayer for emergency

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.

Although it is absolutely permissible to break one’s prayer in an emergency situation where one fears any incoming harm or grave danger to oneself, one’s property, or someone around them, one should know with conviction that when one is in prayer they are in direct audience with the Lord of Worlds and they should not break their prayer for frivolous or petty reasons.

In your particular situation you obviously did not know the seriousness or gravity of the alarm caused and you broke your prayer assuming the worst; thus there is no harm if you happened to do so. Once your fear was allayed, you should seek the forgiveness of Allah and repeat the prayer from the very beginning; it is expected that Allah Subhanah will accept your worship and not diminish your reward in the least Insha Allah.

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