Is It Disbelief (Kufr) Not to Speak Up for One’s Religious Rights?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I am from the UK. I work in the office two days a week. And in December, they told some people to work from home because of covid cases rising, so I asked if I could work from home those two days, but they said I needed to come in because the training was easier in person rather than on camera.
Therefore I miss congregational prayers and pray on my own in the office. They asked if there were any other issues why I could not come to the office, and I did not dare to speak up and say I wanted to work from home to pray in the congregation.
Does this make me a kafir because of feeling shy?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health.
If one cannot request to perform his prayers within the times, it is not an act of disbelief, neither will it take one out of the fold of Islam. However, it is religious inappropriateness and a kind of disregard for the importance of prayers.
Speak to the Employees – with Respect and Empathy for Work Importance
Most western countries provide employees with a safe work environment to practice religion. Additionally, most understand that an inclusive workplace where employees can express their faith, spirituality, and beliefs creates a more fulfilling work experience and improves job satisfaction, morale, and engagement with all involved. So please speak to them respectfully and show them work importance, and if needed, make up the time later by doing extra work.
Build Reliance on Allah (Tawakkul)
Reliance is having confidence in Allah and believing in Him to be the provider of sustenance. If you have built reliance on Allah, you will overcome your shyness and talk to people, and when you rely on Him, you will build confidence as He is the provider of sustenance. So it is being clear and confident in one’s understanding right from the beginning.
Developing Reliance on Allah like the Birds
Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) reported, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “If you were to rely upon Allah with reliance due to Him, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return full.” [Tirmidhi]
Related:
Provision and Work: A Reader
A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)
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May Allah High give you strength and ease to be assertive about the matters of the din, amin
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
