Delaying the Sunnah Prayer Due to Business
Question:
Is it permissible to delay the Sunnah of Zhuhr Prayer due to some commitment and business?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright.
Almighty Allah says:
Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times. (An-Nisa’ 4:103)
It was narrated that Um Salamah said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Allah’s Messenger! I have heard you forbidding the offering of these (two rak`ahs after the `Asr prayer) but I have seen you offering them.” If he waves his hand then wait for him.’ The slave girl did that. The Prophet (peace be upon him) beckoned her with his hand and she waited for him. When he had finished the prayer he said, “O daughter of Bani Umaiya! You have asked me about the two rak`ahs after the `Asr prayer. The people of the tribe of `Abdul-Qais came to me and made me busy and I could not offer the two rak`ahs after the Zhuhr prayer. These (two rak`ahs that I have just prayed) are for those (missed) ones.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
From the above hadeeth, it is clear that it is preferred to make up the regular sunnah prayers if one misses them.
Coming to the current question:
Most scholars are of the view that if you miss the two rak`ahs that are performed before Zhuhr, then pray them after the prayer, because you were excused from doing them before the prayer. This happens all the time: a person comes to the mosque and finds that they have already started the prayer. In this case, he/she should make them up after he prays Zhuhr.
For more information about such ruling, watch this interesting talk with Dr. Muhammad Salah.
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Source: Huda Youtube Channel.