Q:

Asalamualykum

What if someone is praying in his home and his mother calls him. Did he continue his prayer or not?

A:

Wa alaykum assalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh.

In the Nam of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad.

If one is performing an obligatory Prayer, he may not cut it to answer his parent’s call. Obligatory Prayer may be cut only in cases of necessity, such as to save someone’s life.

However, if one is performing a voluntary Prayer and is called by one of his parents, then he needs to assess the situation. If he knows that his parent will get angry of him and will not consider his voluntary prayer as an excuse, then he has to cut it and answer his parent. Then he may redo it, if he wishes.

An evidence for this case can be sought in the story of Jurayj, the pious man. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) related that Jurayj was one who devoted himself to prayer in a temple. One day his mother came and called him, but she found him praying. So he said to himself, “O my Lord, my mother (is calling me) and (I am busy with) my prayer. Then he opted for prayer. His mother came back and the same scenario repeated two more times. At the third time his mother got angry and invoked Allah upon him saying, “O Allah, don’t let him die before seeing the prostitutes.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

But if he knows that his parent will regard his prayer as an excuse, then he should continue it, though he should also cut it shorter to answer his parent as soon as possible. 

Almighty Allah knows best.