Praying At Home During Rain

Praying at Home when it Rains – المطر

Below are 10 Statements of Fuqaha on this issue.

When it rains heavily, the Mu’adhin says:

“Salloo fi Buyootikum – Pray in Your Homes – صلوا في بيوتكم”

Replacing: “Hayya ‘ala al-Salaah – حي على الصلاة – Come to Prayer”.

This is what the Prophet himself instructed.

When there is rain, snow, hail, mud, danger, extreme darkness, fear of harm and disease, extreme cold or extreme hot weather etc, – we can pray at home – the obligation of Jumu’ah (Friday) prayer in the Mosques drops.

The same applies to other 5 prayers in Jama’ah – it is not required to attend the congregational prayers in Masajid in such conditions.

1- Ibn Abbas said to the Mu’adhdhin on a rainy day:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِمُؤَذِّنِهِ فِي يَوْمٍ مَطِيرٍ إِذَا قُلْتَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَلاَ تَقُلْ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ قُلْ صَلُّوا فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ – قَالَ – فَكَأَنَّ النَّاسَ اسْتَنْكَرُوا ذَاكَ فَقَالَ أَتَعْجَبُونَ مِنْ ذَا قَدْ فَعَلَ ذَا مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي إِنَّ الْجُمُعَةَ عَزْمَةٌ وَإِنِّي كَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُحْرِجَكُمْ فَتَمْشُوا فِي الطِّينِ وَالدَّحْضِ
“When you have announced: “I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” do not say:” Come to the prayer,” but make this announcement: “Say prayer in your houses.”
The narrator said that the people disapproved of it.
Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Are you astonished at it? The Prophet, who is better than I, did it.
Friday prayer is no doubt obligatory, but I do not like that I should (force you) to come out and walk in mud and slippery ground.”

[“Sahih Muslim”, 1491].
https://sunnah.com/muslim/6/35

2- Abu Malih narrated from his dad:

خَرَجْتُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مَطِيرَةٍ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ اسْتَفْتَحْتُ فَقَالَ أَبِي مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ أَبُو الْمَلِيحِ ‏.‏ قَالَ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَوْمَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ وَأَصَابَتْنَا سَمَاءٌ لَمْ تَبُلَّ أَسَافِلَ نِعَالِنَا فَنَادَى مُنَادِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ “‏ صَلُّوا فِي رِحَالِكُمْ ‏”‏
“We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Hudaybiyah and it rained a little, such that the soles of our sandals did not get wet.
The announcer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called out:
‘Perform your prayer at your camps.’”

[“Ibn Majah”, 936 – صحيح ].
https://sunnah.com/urn/1282840

—————————————-

1- Imam Nawawi said:

وفي هذا الحديث دليل على سقوط الجمعة بعذر المطر ونحوه ، وهو مذهبنا ومذهب آخرين
“This hadeeth indicates that Jumu‘ah may be waived because of rain and the like. This is our view and the view of others.”

[“Sharh Sahih Muslim”, 3/8].

2- Ibn Rajab said:

ولكن قد روي عن جماعة من الصحابة أنه يعذر في ترك الجمعة بالمطر والطين . منهم : ابن عباس وعبد الرحمان بن سمرة وأسامة بن عمير والد أبي المليح ، ولا يعرف عن صحابي خلافهم ، وقولهم أحق أن يتبع

“But it has been reported from a group of Sahaba that the Friday prayer does not need to be prayed (in the Masjid) when it rains or when there is mud…..
I don’t know of any difference of opinion among the Sahaba on this.
Their words are more entitled to be followed.”

[“Fath al-Bari”, 5/48].

3- Ibn Qudamah said about missing the Friday prayer and congregational prayers:

ويعذر في تركهما بالمطرالذي يبل الثياب والوحل الذي يتأذى به في نفسه وثيابه
“Missing them is excused due to heavy rain that wets the clothes and mud that harms a person in his body and clothes…”

[“Al-Mughni”, 1/366].

4- Imam Al-Baghawi said:

وقد رخص جماعة من أهل العلم في القعود عن الجماعة في المطر والطين.وكل عذر جاز به ترك الجماعة ، جاز به ترك الجمعة

“A group among the people of knowledge say that prayer in congregation cancels during rain and mud.
Any excuse by which one does not have to pray the congregational prayers (in the Masjid), with the same excuse one does not have to pray the Friday prayer (in the Masjid). ”

[“Sharh as-Sunah”, 3/353].

5- Its says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘ (1/495):

( و ) يعذر في ترك الجمعة والجماعة … ( أو متأذٍّ بمطر أو وحل ) بتحريك الحاء ( أو ثلج ، أو جليد ، أو ريح باردة في ليلة مظلمة ) لقول ابن عمر : كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ينادي مناديه في الليلة الباردة أو المطيرة في السفر : صلوا في رحالكم . متفق عليه ، ورواه ابن ماجه بإسناد صحيح ولم يقل : في السفر . وفي الصحيحين عن ابن عباس : أنه قال لمؤذنه في يوم مطير ـ زاد مسلم : في يوم جمعة ـ : … [ فذكر الحديث السابق ] . والثلج والجليد والبرد كذلك .
إذا تقرر ذلك فالريح الباردة في الليلة المظلمة عذر ; لأنها مظنة المطر

“Attendance at Jumu‘ah or prayers in congregation may be waived in the event of rain, mud, snow, ice or a cold wind on a dark night…
because of the words of Ibn ‘Umar: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would ask his caller to call out on a cold or rainy night when travelling: Pray where you are. Agreed upon. It was also narrated from Ibn Maajah with a saheeh isnaad, but he did not say “when travelling.” In al-Saheehayn it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he said to his muezzin on a rainy day — Muslim added that it was a Friday — … and he narrated the hadeeth quoted above.
And the same applies to snow, ice and cold.
This confirms that cold wind on a dark night is an excuse, because it is likely that it will rain.”

6- A Maliki manual:

وعذر تركها (يعني الجمعة) والجماعة شدة وحَل… وهو ما يحمل أواسط الناس على ترك المداس، وشدة مطر يحملهم على تغطية رؤوسهم
“The valid excuse for missing it (Friday prayer) and for missing congregational prayer is intense mud … that would make common people take off their shoes, and intense rain that makes them cover their heads…”

[“Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer”, 1/369].

7- Imam Zakariyah al-Ansari said about the valid excuses for not attending the congregational prayer:

وعذر تركها أي الجماعة وترك الجمعة حقن، ولكن حيث كان في الوقت سعة (ومطر) يشق بحيث يبل الثياب ليلاً أو نهاراً
“…and heavy rain that wets the clothes during the night or the day…”

[“Al-Ghurar Al-Bahiyyah Sharh Al-Bahjah Al-Wardiyyah”].

8- Ibn Nujaym Hanafi in ‘Bahr al-Raaiq’:

وقال ابن نجيم في البحر الرائق وهو حنفي: وفي فتح القدير: والمطر الشديد والاختفاء من السلطان الظالم مسقط. انتهى، يعني أنه مسقط لوجوب الذهاب إلى الجمعة.
“… and during extreme rainfall…”

9- Imam Khalil al-Maliki said:

شدة وحل، ومطر، وجذام، ومرض، وتمريض، وإشراف قريب ونحوه، وخوف على مالٍ، أو حبسٍ أو ضربٍ
“Excuses for missing it [the Friday prayer] include: extreme mud, rain, leprosy, the sick and the one engaged in caring for the weak/ill, … etc.”

[“Mukhtasar al-Khalil”, 5/239].

10- Ibn Bataal said:

أجمع العلماء على أن التخلف عن الجماعات في شدة المطر والظلمة والريح وما أشبه ذلك مباح
“The scholars are in agreement on the permissibility of not attending the congregational prayer in the masjid due to heavy rain, darkness, wind, and so on.”

[“Sharh Ibn Battaal”, 2/291].