🕌 Worship in the home · #51
I am a new mother so busy with the baby that I often nearly miss the prayer times. Is there any concession?
Being busy with a baby does not cancel the prayer or allow combining prayers in the Shafi'i school, but there are many ways to make it easier: praying early in the time while the baby sleeps, praying in a simple setting, and the husband's help.
Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (al-Baqarah 2:286), and the Prophet ﷺ once prayed while carrying his granddaughter Umama; he put her down when he prostrated and picked her up again when he stood (Sahih al-Bukhari 516). This shows that praying while caring for a child is permitted. Practical steps: set up a prayer corner near the baby, keep a telekung that is easy to put on, use prayer-time reminders, and ask your husband to hold the baby for a while when he is home. If you miss a prayer by falling asleep from exhaustion, pray as soon as you remember. Extreme exhaustion or deep sadness after childbirth should be seen by a doctor. See Prayer guide.
Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (al-Baqarah 2:286), and the Prophet ﷺ once prayed while carrying his granddaughter Umama; he put her down when he prostrated and picked her up again when he stood (Sahih al-Bukhari 516). This shows that praying while caring for a child is permitted. Practical steps: set up a prayer corner near the baby, keep a telekung that is easy to put on, use prayer-time reminders, and ask your husband to hold the baby for a while when he is home. If you miss a prayer by falling asleep from exhaustion, pray as soon as you remember. Extreme exhaustion or deep sadness after childbirth should be seen by a doctor. See Prayer guide.
Sources
Surah al-Baqarah 2:286Sahih al-Bukhari 516Sahih al-Bukhari 597