Question
I’m a teenage revert to Islam. My parents, especially my father, are quite strongly against my Islamic faith. I’m able to perform salah on time in the privacy of my room and when I’m out with friends, alhamdulillah. However, we’ll be going on a family trip this month. I don’t know what I’m going to do to fulfill salah (even qasr salah), because we’ll be together practically all day. If they see me praying, I don’t know what they’ll do. My father has said evil things about Muslims and about me specially after I told him about my faith, and he’s becoming more radical and more inclined towards violence (to clarify, he hasn’t done anything violent to me, but just in general). I would really appreciate some advice and guidance. And I understand that at the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to pray.
Answer
1. The ruling on how to pray in the presence of hostile non-Muslim family members
If your situation is such that you have hostile family members accompanying you who would certainly harm you if you were to pray in front of them with no other alternative place to pray alone, then there is no harm in you praying by gesture only, as Allah has allowed this. Allah said: ‘But when you are safe again, establish regular prayer.’ [4:103] i.e. establish prayer as you do normally.
And the Prophet said: ‘Pray on the ground if you are able to; and if not, then use gestures.’ [As-Sunan Al-Kubra of Al-Bayhaqi 3718; Authentic]
And Allah said: ‘So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can.’ [64:16]
However, if the hostile family members are merely threatening and not harming you – and this is something the questioner himself knows best – then it is not permissible to pray with gesture, because Allah prohibited this. Allah said: ‘Be mindful of the prayers, especially the middle prayer; and stand before Allah in complete devotion.’ [2:238] And the Prophet said: ‘Pray as you have seen me praying.’ [Bukhari 631]
2. An Important PIECE OF ADVICE
Know by dear brother that people in the West are exposed to what the West wants them to believe about Islam, and their sole goal is to divert people away from it. Allah said: ‘And there are some among them who alter the Scripture with their tongues so that you may think it is part of the Scripture, while it is not part of the Scripture; and they say, ‘It is from Allah,’ while it is not from Allah. And they tell lies about Allah knowingly.’ [3:78]
So it is the responsibility of the Muslims who reside in the West to educate their families and communities about the true teachings of Islam. Allah said: ‘Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good preaching, and argue with them in a way that is best.’ [16:125]
And the most effective way of doing so is by acting upon the Scripture and teaching it to others, non-Muslims included. For the best representative of Islam is the one who displays it with his speech and actions. Allah said: ‘Be devoted servants of your Lord because of your teaching of the Scripture and because of your study thereof.’ [3:79]
May Allah bless you and open your family’s hearts towards Islam. Ameen.