Question:
When I am praying and the doorbell starts ringing, and there is no one else at home besides me, what should I do in this situation?
Answer:
If the prayer is voluntary (Nafl), then the prayer can be broken to find out who is at the door. In the case of an obligatory (Fard) prayer, haste is not appropriate. However, if there is an important matter at hand and there is a risk of losing it, then if it is possible to inform the person at the door, the “praying man” should say SubhanAllah and the “praying woman” should clap; this will be sufficient for them.
As the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
من نابه شيء : فى صلاته فليسبح الرجال ولتصفق النساء
“If a person encounters a matter during prayer, the man should say SubhanAllah and the woman should clap.” If due to distance or inability to hear this action is ineffective, then due to necessity the prayer may be broken, but this prayer will have to be repeated from the beginning. والحمد الله
