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Reserve BMQ Prayer

someoneelse

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Hello, I am looking to join the reserves, Im wondering if I will be given time to do my prayers, there are 5 and each one takes 5 mins, can basically be done anywhere but there are specific times? Most likely I can do the early morning and night prayers before or after training day, what about the other 3? Will the instructors allow me to step aside?
 
ASA. I asked this question to a recruiter. As far as I could tell, there is no Standard Procedure for this, you will have to speak with the people in charge of your BMQ and work something out.

There are Muslim Chaplains in the Canadian Army who can help with this. Search for them and talk to them (as your recruiter to put you in touch). The Muslim Chaplain's can then communicate with the NCOs in charge with regards to this on your behalf.

Here's the gist: For the Canadian Army, religion is a personal choice, and therefore, it is not guaranteed that you will have time to pray every time. However, most of the time they will try to accommodation. My suggestion is, you contact the Muslim Chaplain, and at the same time, you print out a prayer schedule and speak with the NCOs in charge at your training. The way I approach it with them is, praying just the obligatory prayers takes about as much time as a bathroom break.

Good luck and let me know how this goes for you.
 
As-salamu 3alaykum.

I am currently on the reserve part-time BMQ. As ACE_Engineer mentionned, there is no standard procedure for this. We were told there would be no special breaks for prayers at the start of our qualification.

I have time to pray fajr on either wake up, or after PT showers. Lunch break unfortunately ends right when dhuhr starts, so I have to find another time during the day to pray the combined dhuhr+asr. Most likely supper break, though it means I would have to hurry eating in order to help buddies with the cleaning later. I normally have time at dismissal to offer maghrib and isha along qada for missed prayers.

We have one guy who insists on offering all single prayers on time, which ALWAYS makes him late for timings. The whole platoon hates him for that: don't be that guy. I kept a low profile and never bothered anyone with prayer times.

Obviously this would wildly change depending on the time of the year and what your BMQ consists of.

My pal from reserve full-time BMQ offered fajr on wake-up, then when dismissed for the night (usually much earlier than us on part-time BMQ) they offered qada dhuhr+asr, and maghrib and isha on time.

Allahu a3lam and do not hesitate if you have more questions.
 
Thanks for your reply. So from what I understand, you're missing dhur and asr, but everything else is on time?
 
Varies wildly. You could miss every prayer, or not miss any of them. You never know. They won't give you special timings just because you need time to pray. But keep in mind things get much more relaxed outside BMQ and DP1.

And for the beard, yes, they issued me a chit on my first day at the unit.

Best of luck.
 
Question: Are you not allowed to step away for 5 minutes to offer kasr zuhr+asr, just like someone would be allowed to step away to go to the bathroom?
 
ACE_Engineer said:
Question: Are you not allowed to step away for 5 minutes to offer kasr zuhr+asr, just like someone would be allowed to step away to go to the bathroom?

Tell your staff about your worries. You will definitely have 10 minute breaks around the day. 5 min is too short to pray, but in 10 min you'll have time if you always have your wudu on.
 
Army is changing.  If you're not in active combat, praying 5 times doesn't put others at risk of harm, praying ought not be an issue.  Especially with our current PM who is very pro-Muslim in all aspects of Canadian society.  if army folk make an issue, you take that up all the way to the human rights.
 
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