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From: mmdh@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Mamdouh Maher)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: prayer
Message-ID: <1991May21.183253.474@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 21 May 91 18:32:53 GMT
References: <1991May16.170858.27303@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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Assalamu 'alaykum,

In article <1991May16.170858.27303@wpi.WPI.EDU> sinnott@iastate.edu (Sinnott Susan Buthaina) writes:
>
>I am interested to know how those of you who work handle prayer.  I am at
>work about 10 hours a day.  In the winter, it is often dark when I leave
>home in the morning and dark when I get home at night.  I share a large
>office with four other people.  There is no privacy and little room to 
>pray at the right time in the office.  These are the options as I see 
>them:
>1. Go to a room somewhere in the workplace that is private and pray.
>2. Stay where you are and take a few minutes to pray by "dua" since you
>   cannot pray the usual way.
>3. Leave work and go to a mosk or home, pray, and then return.
>4. Wait until you get home and make up all the prayers you have missed at once.
>
>I would really like to hear from others on this matter.
>
>Susan Sinnott

  I agree that this is a somewhat difficult situation. When I worked for IBM,
there was a Muslim co-worker with an office by himself, we used to pray 
together, and when he was not there, I used to pray in his office, or in an 
empty meeting room.
  
  Now, I just started working for Bell Labs, and I have not yet found such a 
nice arrangement. I temporarily have an office by myself, and I am hoping to 
find someone with whom to pray soon.  If I do not, I'll have to hunt for empty
conference rooms or tell my office mate that I'll pray in the room. Most 
people are understanding, the prayer only takes a couple of minutes.
  
  While I understand your situation, I cannot recommend substitutiong du'a for
salah, not can I recommend that you be late. Salah is an appointment with
Allah (God) and the appointment must be kept.
  
  I would recommend finding an empty room or else going home. Praying in front
of other people is not embarassing, it is da'wa. When your co-workers see you
pray no matter what, they will compare that with their non-Muslim friends who
talk about worship, and they'll notice a difference, God willing. If just one
co-worker follows the straight path as a result, you will have earned a 
lifetime's worth of reward by a simple act.
  
  I remind myself and remind you that there will come a day when the mercy of
Allah will be our only shade, and no co-workers, and no friend can affect us
then.
  
Assalamy 'alaykum,
  
Mamdouh Maher.