What is the ruling on the prayers of one who works 12 hours in the desert, alternating between morning and night shifts, and finds difficulty in performing all prayers on time or in congregation?
Prayer must be performed at its legally prescribed time, and it is not permissible to delay it without a valid Shar'i excuse. Allah has warned those who delay prayer without an excuse by saying: "So woe to those who pray, [But] who are heedless of their prayer." What was mentioned about work or colleagues being annoyed is not an excuse to delay prayer beyond its time.
As for congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama'ah), it is obligatory for men according to many scholars, and it is waived under certain excuses. If you are in a place far from the mosque, you are not obliged to go there to pray in congregation. You can pray in congregation with colleagues, and if there is no one, then pray alone. It is advisable to admonish colleagues to maintain prayer at its prescribed time.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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