Is Studying Tafsir an Excuse to Miss the Congregational Prayer?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
Is it better to study Tafsir and Fiqh at home or attend congregational Salah 12 minutes away?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
According to the Hanafi school, it is an emphasized sunna for men to pray in a congregation if they don’t have a valid excuse. [Rafi‘i, Taqrirat al-Rafi‘i on Hashiyat Ibn Abidin]
The Importance of Congregational Prayer
To get used to missing the congregational prayer is sinful. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat al-Tahtawi ‘ala Maraqi al-Falah]
The sunna is fulfilled even by praying in a congregation outside of the mosque, even though it is better to perform it in the mosque. [Ibid.]
Balancing Study and Salah
You should strive to organize your studies in a way that will enable you to pray with a congregation.
Nonetheless, suppose you are enrolled in a religious class and have no control over this class’s timing. In that case, missing the congregational prayer to attend the lesson is a valid excuse. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) has said: “Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim.” [Ibn Maja]
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
