Substitute Prayer or Hire Prayer is a prayer that is performed on behalf of another Muslim in exchange for a fee. Stay with Saadnews for more information.
A Hire Prayer is a prayer that someone is hired to perform on behalf of another person, in exchange for a fee. The person performing the prayer on behalf of another is called the "proxy" and the person for whom the prayer is being performed is referred to as the "one being represented." In Shia Islam, performing a Hire Prayer on behalf of a living person is not valid. If the person hired to perform the prayer has missed their own prayers and dies before completing the prayers for the deceased, they must hire someone else with their own money to perform the prayers they were hired to do. If there is extra money, they can hire someone to perform all the deceased’s prayers, provided there is permission from the heirs.
Jurists have discussed the Hire Prayer and its rulings in the sections on purification, prayer, khums (a form of Islamic tax), and contracts. According to Shia jurisprudence, Hire Prayers on behalf of a living person are not valid. However, some scholars, such as Ibn Mutawaj, allowed Hire Prayers for voluntary prayers on behalf of the living. All Shia jurists agree that proxy prayers (without payment) for obligatory and recommended prayers, and Hire Prayers on behalf of a deceased person, are valid. However, there is a difference of opinion on whether one can be hired to perform an obligatory prayer on behalf of a deceased person. It is commonly believed among scholars that Hire Prayers on behalf of the deceased are permissible.
Q. 709: I am unable to perform prayers myself. Is it permissible for someone to perform prayers on my behalf? Is there a difference between whether the proxy receives a fee or not?
A: The obligated person must perform their required prayers while alive, to the best of their ability. Whether the proxy receives a fee or not, their prayer does not suffice for the individual.
Q. 710: For someone performing a Hire Prayer:
Is it mandatory to perform the call to prayer (adhan), iqamah, three salams, and the four praises (tasbihat al-arba) in full?
If a person prays Zuhr and Asr on one day and then prays all five daily prayers on another day, does the order need to be followed?
Is it necessary to mention the deceased's details during the Hire Prayer?
A: It is not necessary to mention the specifics of the deceased, and the order only applies between Zuhr and Asr prayers, and Maghrib and Isha. If no specific conditions were made in the contract, the proxy should perform the prayer with the common recommended actions, but it is not required to say the adhan for each prayer.
For a missed prayer performed as a proxy, the following conditions must be met for it to be valid:
The proxy must be rational, a Shia of the Twelve-Imam school, and of legal age (according to precautionary obligation).
The proxy must have the intention to act as a representative.
The proxy must identify, even vaguely, the person they are praying for.
The person hiring the proxy must have assurance that the prayer will be properly performed.
The proxy must perform the prayer correctly.
The proxy must not be incapable of fulfilling certain conditions of the prayer.
For performing prayers for the deceased, it is permissible to hire a proxy, and paying for the prayer or fasting is not an issue in terms of Sharia law. The fee for performing a prayer or fasting on behalf of someone is agreed upon mutually and does not have a fixed amount. The person who performs the prayer on behalf of another must be able to correctly recite Surah al-Fatiha and other necessary elements for the prayer to be valid.
