We ask Allah the Almighty to render our service for His Sake alone and to accept our humble efforts in helping Muslims get a better understanding of Islam.
Do not worry, brother, you are not alone in the problem you are facing. Many new Muslims are going through the same difficulty and even much more complicated issues in their transition period.
We highly appreciate your keenness to offer the prayer, the cornerstone of Islam and the first act of worship you will be asked about in the Hereafter. You have the right to worry about offering the prayer at its due time because it is what connects us with your Creator five times a day amid our busy schedules
We also appreciate helping those who depend on you. For every penny you spend, you will get multiple rewards from Allah.
You should note that prayer can be offered in any clean place. The whole earth is a place of worship as the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us. The prayer can be performed in any corner in an office, in any meeting room, in the car park, even in stock rooms, etc. You can take a prayer mat with you and keep it in your work place. It is clear now that the place is not a problem for you.
With regard to delaying the prayer, it is not permissible for a Muslim to delay his prayers beyond the time when they are due without a legitimate excuse such as sleeping and forgetting. Work is not an excuse for not praying or for delaying a prayer until its time is over. We read in the Quran what gives the meaning of:
{…keep up regular prayer, for prayer is obligatory for the believers at prescribed times.} (An-Nisaa’ 3:103)
A sincere believer does not let business or trade distract him from remembering Allah and establishing regular prayer. We read in the Quran what means:
{Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing the prayer nor from giving the Zakah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection).} (An-Nur 24:37)
To find a time for offering the prayer, it is not possible for anyone to work for long hours without a break. You can cut short your lunch break and take five minutes for each prayer. If the break time does not coincide with prayer times, you ask for different break timings.
You have to try all possible means even if that will cause you some difficulty such as working extra hours. You know why? Because the spirituality and peace of mind you will gain from offering the prayer at its time will make you forget the difficulty you encounter.
If all means fail, you can delay the Zhuhr prayer until five minutes before the Asr time and offer the two prayers at one time. If the Maghrib prayer comes while you are still at work, you can also delay it until five minutes before the Isha prayer. Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has often combined Zhuhr and Asr, andMaghrib and Isha, for no fear or travel.” (Muslim)
If it happened that you missed a prayer or delayed it until its time was over, you have to repent to Allah, ask for His forgiveness, pray an increased number of supererogatory prayers, and do good deeds. We read in the Quran what means:
{But there came after them generations who neglected prayer and were driven by their own desires. These will come face to face with their evil,but those who repent, who believe, who do righteous deeds, will enter Paradise.} (Maryam 19:59-60)
{Those who remember God and implore forgiveness for their sins if they do something shameful or wrong themselves– who forgives sins but God?– and who never knowingly persist in doing wrong. } (Aal `Imran 3:135)
We highly advise you to keep striving to offer the prayer at its prescribed time. Be sure that when you make a firm intention to do so, Allah will make a way out for you and He will make it easy for you.
I hope this answers your question.
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