Making salat at a new job...

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Making salat at a new job...
xintongxue
11/07/01 at 00:18:21
Asalamualaikum,
I'm just looking for a little bit of advice here, since this seems to be a great place to hear some opinions for people like me. I'm a newly reverted Muslim (just a few weeks) and I just started a new job. My problem is I'm having trouble with making salat, particularly maghrib, at my workplace (I'm working second shift). There really isn't anywhere to go to that is clean and out of the way (I'm working in a warehouse) and as a new Muslim I'm still a little shy about it. What advice can anyone give me about adjusting to this situation? About how to pray?  
Re: Making salat at a new job...
Arsalan
11/07/01 at 01:20:58
Wa'alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Masha Allah bro, congratulations on accepting to enter the Islamic Faith.  You are blessed to have been guided by Allah (swt).  May He continue to guide you in the future as well.  Ameen.

To answer your question, you can perform your prayer at any place which is pure.  It doesn't have to be in a mosque, or in a room, or at the house.  Any place that is pure.  Impurities are things such as excretory wastes of animals and human beings.  Alcohol is also impure.  As long as the floor doesn't seem to have any of these impurities, it should be ok to pray on it.  You can put a prayer rug or any sheet of cloth on the floor and pray.  

It's natural to be shy as a new Muslim.  But don't worry about it too much.  Just go up to him and say, "Sir I'm a Muslim.  My religion requires me to pray 5 times a day, every day.  One of those prayers fall during the time of my work.  My prayer only takes 10 minutes.  Is it possible that I could get a 10-minute break to pray at such-and-such time?"  Designate a corner in the warehouse, or maybe right outside the warehouse, where you wouldn't distract others, and tell your supervisor that that's the place that you'll be praying at.  Just go for it bro.  Insha Allah he won't make a big deal about it.  If he does, he can get in big trouble for it.  Remember that you're not alone.  There are 6 million other Muslims that have to do the same thing you're doing :)  It's hard to do something like this for the first time.  But once you get over that hump, things will become easier in the future insha Allah.

One thing that may also help is to get a letter from your local Mosque or imaam and give it to your boss.  That way you won't have to do the talking.  He'll just read the letter written by your imaam and grant you what you want :)

May Allah help you bro.  And welcome to the board.

Wassalamu alaikum.
Re: Making salat at a new job...
blissfull
11/07/01 at 06:15:25
slm
Welcom brother,ALHAMDULILAH.

this is a lovely prayer bro that i used to read while writing, giving lectures and even throughout my exams.
it gives you an amazing amount of strength and lightens your heart.

My Lord,Expand for me my breast
and make my work easy for me
and loosen the knot from my tongue
so they may understand my speech.

and a beautiful hadith

O ALLAH, I seek YOUR Protection from knowledge that does not benefit

and a heart that does not humble itself / feel fear  

and from a soul that is not sahated

and from a prayer that is not answered
 
                                                 (Muslim)


please let me know if you wish to have a transliteration for the prayer.

May ALLAH SWT make your journey unfold with NUR.(Divine Light) Ameen
Re: Making salat at a new job...
gift
11/07/01 at 09:40:20
[slm]

[quote]There really isn't anywhere to go to that is clean and out of the way (I'm working in a warehouse) [/quote] as bro Arsalan says any clean place will do - also i think u can pray with your shoes on if u  have to :)

[wlm]
Re: Making salat at a new job...
tq
11/07/01 at 11:25:52
Assalamo elikuim

COngratulations Brother!!
Also if there is a chance of people passing by where you Inshallah will be praying, it will be a good idea to write "PRAYING, PLease wait 5 minutes - Thanks" on paper and put it next to you.

Wasalam
tq
Re: Making salat at a new job...
Hajreee
11/07/01 at 13:36:17
Salaams

MASHALLAH brother on your reversion :)

do tell us your story! i ADMIRE people like you, personally guided by Allah, what more can someone ask for!!

okee dokee

Take Care!

Wa Salaams
Re: Making salat at a new job...
BroHanif
11/07/01 at 16:47:38
slm,

Brother In Islam, Masha-allah for accepting the deen and welcome to the board. :).

Masha-allah may Allah guide you all the time, towards good and forbid us all from evil.

Salaah, dear brother can be prayed nearly anywhere, whether one is in a warehouse or elsewhere it don't matter.
The easiest way I find to pray, especially now when daylight time is short, is the following:
1,Wear leather socks so I can perform wuzu over them easily and faster,
2, Have my prayer mat with me, whereever I am. The prayer mat is amll and can fit easily in my rucksack/draw at work.

My friend who works in an open office has to pray his salaat there, that means all his work collegues get to see him while he prays. At first he was a bit hesitant but then Allah gave him strength this mean's his sort of inviting people to dawah as well.

As for praying, well you could explain to your manager about how your performance would be increased if you could have a one2one with Allah. How you see prayers benefiting not only yourself but also your work mates, coz you'll be making dua for em, the company and for everyone else in the world. So in short its a win-win situation if you pray and it take less time than having to smoke a cigaratte and consuming coffe.

Salaams

Hanif
Re: Making salat at a new job...
momineqbal
11/08/01 at 00:09:10
[slm],

Congratulations brother  and welcome to the fold of Islam! May Allah grant inrease in your Iman and good deeds (ameen).

I have never worked in a warehouse, so I can't really imagine what condition is in there. What kind of warehouse is it? The idea of keeping the prayer mat with you is very useful. There is one that I keep that fits into my pocket. I think you can buy them online here [url=http://www.al-basheer.com/sajaadati.asp]Al-Basheer[/url]. The call it sajjadati. So even if the place is not as clean as a mosque you can still pray. If you  can find a place or a corner where people wont cross infront of you its best, otherwise you can keep something like a bag or any little thing (known as sutrah)  infront of you and pray.

Also request the supervisor for a little bit of time for prayer and this shouldnt be difficult inshaAllah. People take that much time to smoke as much is required for salat. You could also offer the supervisor or employer to work a little bit extra in exchange for salat time , if required. Also start  with prayaing just the fard salat(obligatory prayer) initially and then you can start praying the sunnah when you get comfortable. Also just remember that its natural to feel a bit awkward initially as you are conscious of people watching you, but once you have prayed a few times you should start to feel much more comfortable inshaAllah.

Wassalam
Re: Making salat at a new job...
M.F.
11/08/01 at 04:43:39

[quote]slm,

1,Wear leather socks so I can perform wuzu over them easily and faster,
[/quote]
Where do you get leather socks?  And why leather?  I think pretty much all scholars agree that you can wipe over any kind of socks, as long as they're not completely transparent or have really big holes in them.  Am I wrong???  Please, enlighten me :-)
Re: Making salat at a new job...
BrKhalid
11/08/01 at 06:11:47
Asalaamu Alaikum ;-)

In addition to all the good advice already given, I'd just add that I've noticed a lot of buildings make little or no use of the stairs (since everyone takes the lift! [elevator])

This may not be relevant for a warehouse, but for others, I've found the stairs a very good place if you're really stuck trying to find a place to pray.


Also in the winter months when the prayers are closer together, make more of an effort to maintain your wudhu.


InshaAllah may Allah make it easy for you Brother.


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