Delaying the prayer past its time in order to make wudoo'

[Yusuf.McNulty.al.Irlandee]

Question:

Is it permissible to delay the salaah beyond its specified time in order to acquire one of its conditions[1], like gathering water (to preform wudoo’)?


Sh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah):

What’s correct is that it is not permissible to delay the salaah beyond its specific time at all, so if someone feared that the time for salaah would end then he prays in whatever state he is in, even if he was nearly able to complete one of the conditions due to Allaah’s statement (the meaning of):

<<Verily the salaah is enjoined upon the believers at specific times>>
[an-Nisaa’: 103]

Likewise the Prophet (sal-lal-llaahu `alayhi wasallam) made clear the different times for the salaah, so this necessitates the obligation of keeping the salaah in its specified time, for if it was allowed to wait (past the time of salaah) in order to complete a condition then what would be the use of making tayam-mum? Because perhaps one could find water later on after the time of salaah has ended (and make wudoo’ then instead of praying with tayam-mum).

There’s no difference between delaying the salaah for a long time after it has ended or for a short amount of time, because in both cases the salaah has been taken out of its enjoined time.

This is also the opinion of Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaahu ta`aalaa).


[1] Trans. Note: The conditions of the salaah (Arabic: shuroot) are those things that must be done before commencing the salaah, likewise they must be maintained throughout the salaah until its completion. From the conditions are removing impurities from the body/clothes/place of prayer, covering the `awrah, facing the qiblah and ritually purifying oneself by way of wudoo’ or ghusl (one preforms tayam-mum when they are incapable of making wudoo’/ghusl due to lack of water, illness, etc).


- Translated by Abul-Husayn Yusuf McNulty from Fataawaa Arkaanil-Islaam, pg.268.