Salaat during medical emergency or surgery
Category:
Salaat
According to Madhhab:
Hanafi
Reference:
1440-197
Question:
I am a medical student. During internship, many a time we fing ourselves alone in casuualty when an emergency case is brought in, and one of my main fears is missing Salaat when dealing with an emergency of this kind. What is the ruling regarding Salaat in this situation?
Also, when pursuing masters in medicine, one of the fields a doctor can go into is surgery. however, this entails spending quite a lot of time in theatre, sometimes operating on a patient over Salaat times. Once a sterile gown is put on, we are only allowed to remove it once the procedure is completed. Salaat cannot be performed in such attire due to the risk of infection to the patient. What is the ruling regarding somebody pursuing such a career with regards to Salaat?
Answer:
Allah Ta'aala mentions in the noble Qur’aan:
إ ن اَل صلَاةَكََانَتْ عََلَى اَلْمُؤْ من ينَكَ تَابًً مََوْقُوتًَ
Indeed, Salaah has been made obligatory for the Mu’mineen at fixed hours. [Al-Nisaa:103]
ح فظُوا عََلَى اَل صلَوَا ت وََال صلَاة اَلْوُسْطَى وََقُومُوا لِلّ قََان ت ينََ
Strictly guard your Salaahs (perform them at their correct times), especially the middle one (the Asr Salaah) and stand humbly (obediently and silently) before Allah Ta'aala. [Al-Baqarah:238]
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar Radhiallahu Anhu narrates that he heard Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam saying:
“Islam is built upon five [pillars]: testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah Ta'aala and that Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is the Messenger of Allah Ta'aala, establishing Salaah, paying the Zakaah, Hajj (pilgrimage) and fasting the month of Ramadhan.” (Muttafaq Alaih)
Considering the above mentioned Aayaat (verses) of the Noble Qur’aan and various Ahaadeeth of our beloved Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam on the importance of Salaah, we learn that establishing Salaah is one of the most essential duties of a Mu’meen (believer) and it is not permissible for one to leave out Salaah without a valid Shar’i reason. Allah Ta'aala has promised great rewards for those people who are consistent with their Salaah.
After the above opening statements that underline and emphasise the importance of punctuality of Salaah, we will now focus on your queries:-
From the texts of the Fuqaha (Jurists) we understand that if the nature of the emergency is such that any delay in attending to the patient would worsen his condition which might lead to his death and you are alone in casualty, then it is Waajib (obligatory) to see to the patient and delay your Salaah. If the time of Salaah expires, Qadha will be necessary.
The same ruling also applies to a surgeon. If the nature of the surgery is such that any delay or leaving the patient unattended will worsen the condition of the patient which might lead to his death and you are alone, then it is Waajib (obligatory) to continue with the surgery and delay your Salaah. If the time of Salaah expires, Qadha will be necessary.
However, in most cases, assistant staff are always available and the patients are never left unattended even for a moment. Thus, you should try and put contingency plans in place (wherever and whenever possible) so as to take leave for a short while and perform your Salaah on time. (Tahtaawi Alal Maraaqi Pg. 449)
Lastly, our advice is that you should try your utmost to perform your Salaah at its fixed hours, either by performing it before starting the surgery if the time of Salaah has already set in or during the breaks where you are allowed to leave the theatre.
AND ALLAH TA'AALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST
ANSWERED BY: Abdullah Badat
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY: Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
Islamic Date: 23 Rabi'uth Thaani 1440 - English Date: 1st January 2019