Something that has been bothering me lately is the following.i am in high school and preparing myself for college.Getting into college is not easy nowadays and you have to do a lot. I want to join some clubs in my school but i am not sure because their timings interfere with the prayer times, especially in the winter. What should I do?Should i join the clubs or wait till spring time when the prayer times are extended. another issue is i might not be able to join that late.

Alhamdu Lillah,

Praying on time is the most essential act of worship and the most beloved devotion to Allah SWT; it is neither hard for those who want to make it, unless it takes a long time. As you know, you can pray wherever you want if the chosen place is free from filth.

That being said, I do not see any contradiction between pursuing your high school study and joining the academic clubs you need to join from one side, and praying on time from the other side. You can do what you need to do, and when it is Salah time, take permission from your teacher/coach, step out of the class, and pray in the whole way if there is no other suitable place for praying.

If none of the above is applicable, then you can go with the AMJA declaration in this regard. It is as follows:

Decisions Regarding Contemporary Challenges in Worship

• The default is that prayers are to be offered in their times. It is consented, when there is a conflict of examination time with prayers time and it isn’t possible for the student to reschedule the examination time, to not attend the Jumu’ah prayer, or to combine between Dhuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and ‘Ishaa. This is due to what missing the examination results in of great harm and waste of intellectual efforts and material investment throughout the term of study.

• Upon conflict between study times and prayer times along with the inability of the student to adjust his schedule, it is consented for him to temporarily miss Jum’uah prayer until he can adjust his schedule to remove this conflict. It is incumbent upon him to work hard in that (i.e. schedule adjustment). If he is unable to do that, then it isn’t right that he should remain continuously absent from the Jumu’ah prayer for study reasons, and its becomes an obligation on him to search for an appropriate exit (from this situation).

• It is consented to combine between Dhuhr and Asr, or Maghrib and ‘Ishaa, in strenuous times such as those of education and examinations for those that need that. The Muslim, be he a student or not, should safeguard offering the prayers at their times as much as possible.

 For more information, you can read the full declaration in the following link;

http://www.amjaonline.com/en_d_details.php?id=322