Assalamu alaykum - Struggling to Pray Dhuhr and ‘Asr at Work, Need Advice
As-salamu ‘alaykum, I’m a Muslim woman and a convert, and I’m having a really hard time keeping up with prayer times because of my job and my living situation. I work 12:00 PM–8:00 PM three days a week. Dhuhr starts at 12:30 PM, and ‘Asr falls while I’m still on shift. My workplace is very strict: supervisors watch us closely, there are cameras, and even a short pause gets you called out. We don’t have real breaks except a tiny trip to the restroom. There’s nowhere private to pray. The locker room door stays open, so anyone can see in, and many coworkers aren’t friendly toward Muslims, so praying openly would create big problems. The restrooms are small - only enough room for the toilet. I can’t stand, bow, or sit properly in there, and the sink is outside. I know praying in a bathroom is generally not allowed except in extreme necessity, and I don’t want to show disrespect to Allah. At home things are difficult too. I’m living with my non-Muslim father; I’m a convert and he’s been harsh, even physically in the past, about my need to work after I struggled to find a job for over a year. I can’t afford to move out and I’m afraid of losing this job because of family pressure, so I really have no practical choice but to keep working under these conditions. I’m also a full-time student. Because of all that, I can’t perform Dhuhr and ‘Asr during their times while I’m at work - no private spot, no chance to stand or sit or pray quietly. By the time I finish and get home, Maghrib has passed and ‘Isha has started; I can combine Maghrib and ‘Isha at home, but Dhuhr and ‘Asr I can’t even combine later because ‘Asr time has already ended before I get off. My question: Given that it’s genuinely impossible for me to pray Dhuhr and ‘Asr at work or within their times, and I can’t afford to lose this job, is it acceptable for me to pray both of these prayers later in the evening after I get home even though ‘Asr time is over? Am I committing a sin if I pray them after their times when circumstances are beyond my control? Or, in this situation, would it be allowed to pray standing in the tiny restroom where there’s a toilet? Jazakum Allahu khayran.