Q. 1. Is it appropriate to perform ablution just before Maghrib, pray and have a meal, then pray Isha without performing a fresh ablution?
Q. 2. If a person cannot afford to go on pilgrimage, how can he compensate for missing out on this great Islamic duty?
Q. 3. Sometimes when an expatriate is killed in a road accident his body is kept in the mortuary for days or weeks until he is identified. Since Islam recommends burial without delay, how is such keeping of the body viewed?
M.A.J. Samath
A.1. Any person can offer as many prayers as he wishes with one ablution, provided he does not invalidate it by any of the ways that invalidate ablution. These are: 1) any discharge of liquid, solid or wind through one’s genital or rectum; 2) deep sleep; 3) loss of consciousness; and 4) touching one’s genital skin to skin. This means that a person may offer two, three, four or even five obligatory prayers with one ablution, provided that he does not invalidate it by any of the aforementioned ways.
A.2. The pilgrimage is a duty that must be fulfilled by every Muslim who is able to undertake it. The condition of ability is most important, because a person who is unable to do it does not have a duty to fulfill. The condition of ability is both physical and financial. Physical ability includes not only a degree of health that enables one to travel and perform all the strenuous tasks without too much strain, but also one’s own safety. The financial ability includes leaving his family enough money for their living expenses during his absence. A person who does not meet this condition of ability is not required to do the pilgrimage. He does not have to compensate in any way.
While every Muslim is keen to do the pilgrimage, because it ensures forgiveness of all past sins, a person who does not offer the pilgrimage because he cannot afford it does not lose much. Forgiveness of past sins can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as repentance, doing different forms of voluntary worship, serving the community, helping a person in distress, etc.
A.3. Such a delay is needed for a definite and important purpose, which is the identification of the deceased. Hence, it is acceptable.
As for your other questions, Islam in Perspective is published on Mondays and Fridays every week. Publishing the prayer times for a whole month does not appear particularly useful, as we cannot do it for several cities because of the space it takes. We cannot publish it for one city only, because this gives an unfair advantage to readers from that city.
