No Place for Ablution or Prayer at Work
Question

                I work for an American company, and I am the only Muslim. There is no clean place or feasible place to perform wudu (ablution) during the day, and there is no private place to perform salah (formal prayer). Is it haram (impermissible) to wait until I get home to perform Dhur and ‘Asr salah.
Praise be to Allah.
    The 
    Muslim has to understand the importance of prayer and the necessity of 
    observing prayer regularly at the appointed times, fulfilling all the 
    conditions and pillars and essential parts of the prayer. Allah says 
    (interpretation of the meaning): 

    
    “Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.”

    
    [al-Nisa 4:103] 

    It was 
    narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I 
    asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Which deed is 
    most beloved to Allah?” He said, “Prayer performed on time.” He said, “Then 
    what?” He said, “Honouring one’s parents.” He said, “Then what?” He said, 
    “Jihad (fighting) for the sake of Allah.” 

    
    Narrated by al-Bukhari (504) and Muslim (85).

    So it 
    is not permissible for the Muslim to delay his prayer beyond the time it is 
    due. Wudoo does not require a clean place. Even if we assume that it does, 
    the questioner could make sure that he has wudoo before coming to work and 
    keep his wudoo so that he can pray on time.

    He has 
    to offer prayer on time. Looking for a clean place where he can perform the 
    prayer is not too difficult. Prayer is valid in any place on earth so long 
    as it is clean and pure. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him) said: “The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and 
    purification, so whenever the time of prayer comes for any man of my ummah, 
    let him pray.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 335; Muslim, 521. Sharee’ah (Islamic 
    law) only excludes from this specific places in which prayer is not valid, 
    which include graveyards and bathrooms. The Prophet (peace and blessings of 
    Allah be upon him) said: “All the earth is a place of prostration apart from 
    graveyards and bathrooms.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 492; classed as saheeh 
    (authentic) by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

    So the 
    workplace may be a place of prayer if it is clean. If it is not easy then he 
    should look for somewhere else. Asking his bosses to allocate a corner where 
    he can pray is not something that is difficult. 

    Shaykh 
    al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

    If he 
    deliberately delays the prayer until the time is too short to meet all the 
    conditions and do all the essential parts of the prayer, such as if there is 
    some impure substance on him, or he is junub and delays the prayer so that 
    if he does ghusl the time for prayer will be over, then he has to purify 
    himself first, but he is a sinner because he is doing the prayer at the 
    wrong time. He should have purified himself before the time became too short 
    and prayed on time. When he delays it, then he has to do what is required in 
    the right sequence even though he is a sinner because of his delaying it.

    Sharh 
    al-‘Umdah, 
    4/58.

    If he 
    is unable to fulfil one of the conditions of prayer being valid – such as 
    taharah (purity) – then he should pray on time and he is exempted from this 
    condition. It is not permissible to delay the prayer until its time is over 
    in order to fulfil that condition.

    Shaykh 
    al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

    
    Because those who are obliged to pray when the time for prayer comes, but 
    are unable to fulfil one of its conditions or essential parts at that 
    moment, but will be able to do so after the time for prayer is over, it is 
    not permissible for them to delay the prayer until its time is over. If this 
    were permissible then the one who is unable to purify himself, cover 
    himself, bow or prostrate, or do any other condition or essential part of 
    the prayer would be allowed to delay the prayer until he is able to do this, 
    if he knows or thinks it most likely that he will be able to do it. This is 
    contrary to the Quran, Sunnah and scholarly consensus, because sharee’ah’s 
    concern that the prayer be performed on time is greater than its concern for 
    any other condition or essential part of prayer that cannot be done. Hence 
    it is not permissible to delay the prayer until its time is over because of 
    being unable to do some of the essential parts. When the time for the 
    obligatory prayer is too short and one cannot fulfil the conditions, then 
    doing the prayer on time takes precedence over the conditions. There is only 
    one time when fulfilling the conditions takes precedence over the act 
    itself, which is when the act becomes obligatory towards the end of its 
    time, such as when a sleeper wakes up at the end of the time, in which case 
    the prayer becomes obligatory when he wakes up, and he must fulfil the 
    conditions of prayer. This applies if someone wakes up after the time for 
    prayer is over.

    Sharh 
    al-‘Umdah, 
    4/347, 348.

    And 
    Allah knows best.