Delaying the prayer because of an excuse

Question

What do the scholars of religion say regarding the following questions? (1) May a prayer be delayed from its time because of an excuse? If it may, then to what extent must the excuse reach for it to be called an excuse? (a) A person is on a train, travelling in third class, and the crowd is so dense that, customarily and by common standards, he cannot move from his place. May he delay the prayer in such a situation? (b)

Answer

(1) There is no harm in delaying [the prayer] beyond the mustahabb time, provided the delay does not reach the disliked time. If there is no water on a journey, tayammum is its substitute; but if one expects to find water, one should delay [the prayer]. (a) He should not delay it so that it becomes qada'.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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