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Muslim jurists differed on this issue and have four opinions:
The first opinion: Jumu'ah ṣalāh is still obligatory and has to be performed on time, whether one performs 'Īd ṣalāh or not. And this applies for both the imām and the congregation.
This is the position of the Hanafi, Maliki and Dhahiri schools. Ibn Qudamah in his book al-Mughni attributed this opinion to the majority of the Fuqhaa' and Muslim Jurists.
Their evidence, according to Ibn Rushd in “Bidayatul Mujtahid” is the default ruling of Jumu'ah ṣalāh as was derived from the āyah in surat al-Jumu'ah:
“O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allāh, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew…”
If the third opinion is the strongest, does it mean that those who follow this opinion do not pray zhur in congregation behind the imam because the Jum’ah prayer would be going on at that time and the imam won’t pray both the jum’ah and zuhr prayers?
I was wondering the same thing…
This means, they are exempt from coming to the masjid for the congregational salat. That is the whole purpose of this concession, and they can just pray dhuhr at home. If they decided to come to the Masjid and join the Imam who will be praying Juma’ah, then they should join with the intention of Jumu’ah. They cannot just come in and pray dhuhr and leave while the Imam is delivering the khutbah. They cannot join the Imam who is making Jumu’ah and make their intention for dhuhr either. If show up at Jumu’ah time while the khutbah is running then they should join the Jumu’ah salat.
And Allah knows best.
This happened recently I believe, a few years ago. I was living in Atlanta back then. But I remember Eid (I can’t remember which one) fell on a Friday.
We did the same thing…made the Eid prayer but not the Jumuah prayer. But I think the Imam at the masjid in my area still gave a khutbah for those who wanted to pray.
Mashallah. Allah is the best of planners.
“Dhuhr salat, in this case, should still be performed in place of Jumu’ah. This opinion, due to its clear textual evidences, is the strongest opinion of all.”
Who’s opinion is this, that it’s the strongest? Then why the difference of opinion in the first place?
Strongest opinion according to Sheikh Yaser.
The difference of opinion is based on the following arguments:
1. The ahadith and reports in regard to the issue did not reach some of the Fuqahaa’, especially the early generation of Fuqahaa’
2. The argument over the validity of the said narrations. Some Fuqahaa’ considered them authentic and others did not. And based on what they have believed is right, they formulated their opinions.
3. The difference of opinion on the principle of “Asl” or default on this issue, is it the Ayah in surat al-Jumu’ah or the hadith of Zaid and the athar of Uthman which both obviously establishe an exception for the Eid on Friday.
4. The position from the ahaad hadith, does it qualify a “Nas” or a text that is mentioned in a decisive context in the Qur’an?
And Allah knows best.
Eid Mubarak! As for questions about why there are multiple opinions about this or other issues of fiqh, I recommend people take a class such as Yaser Birjas’ “The Code Evolved.” That class specifically looks at the evolution of fiqh/jurisprudence.
Jazak Allah khayr for posting this article! I’d like to suggest an addition or clarification regarding the third opinion. Since the imam would still perform the Jum’aa khutbah and salat, the congregational mid-day prayer for Friday remains Jum’aa and not dhuhr.
According to all of the first three opinions, if there was Jum’aa at your masjid last week, there should be Jum’aa there today. Prayer with the jamat is still better than prayer alone, so go pray in jamat. The third opinion merely relieves you of the obligation of praying Jum’aa today.
jazakAllaah khair, that’s cleared the confusion
Eid Mubarak everybody.
Jazakom Allahu Khayran Shaykh Yaser for the clarification. One question though, regardless of which opinion is the strongest isn’t it more proper to follow the congregation in such community wide decision?
This applies to those who wish to attend the Masjid at dhuhr time. If they do so, then they have no other option but attend the Jumu’ah with the Imam if it was already on.
And allah knows best.
I truly appreciate this information. Indeed…it was a needed article, and it is relevant.
JazakAllahu khayran…
Assalam Alaikum
Shaykh Yaser, two questions regarding the fourth opinion:
1) “In refuting this final opinion, Imam al-Khattabi rahimahullah said: “This -the act of Ibn az-Zubair- could not be understood except in the context …”
How is this a refutation? It is just explaining the opinion in detail. I don’t see how this is a refutation of the opinion, but it is more of an explanation of it.
2) “In addition to that, Ata’ who reported the incident of ibn az-Zubair also said: “On Jumu’ah time we gathered for salat but he (Ibn az-Zubair) did not come out (to lead us)so we prayed individually.†”
Can you please mention the reference for this and how authentic it is if it was classified by any of the scholars of hadith?
JazakAllah khayr
1) Because al-Khattabi gives an interpretation different from the one composed by the followers of the forth opinion, he eventually refuting their explanation to the incident as not praying jumu’ah at all.
As-San’aani in Subul as-Salam added that there is no evidence that Ibn az-Zubair did not pray dhuhr at home either. And , one cannot conclude, from this narration only, that the opinion of Ibn az-Zubair is not to pray dhuhr at all.
2) This narration in particular is in Sunan Abi Dawood in the Book of Salat, ch. 217 If Eid falls on Friday, hadith # 1071. Imam an-Nawawi rahimahullah said about this hadith in al-Majmoou’ : “Reported by Abu Dawood, with a good chain (bi’isnaadin hasan) or -an-Nawawi is still judging- Sahih equivalent to the condition of Imam Muslim (sahihun ala sharti Muslim)”
sh. al-Albani rahimahullah considers it Sahih as well.
And Allah knows best.
Assalamu alaikum,
From my experience the strongest opinion is the first followed by the Maliki and Hanafi schools. I’ve only heard of people who follow salafism follow the third and fourth opinions.
wa alaikum salam
Sorry but your second sentence made no sense.
Jazakum Allahu khayran, but the third and fourth opinion are greatly recognized and disputed in books of Fiqh and commentary of hadith as much as the first and second too.
Even Imam Abul Hasan Noorideen as-Sindi al-hanafi on his commentary on the hadith of Ibn az-Zubair, as in Sunan an-Nasaa’iee said: “And the opinion of our Ulamaa’ -the Hanafi scholars- that attending Jumu’ah is still obligatory, and there is no doubt the ahadith in this chapter are proof evidence that attending Jumu’ah does not stay obligatory. Moreover, some of them even indicate that even dhuhr is no longer obligatory, as it is in the narrations about Ibn az-Zubair, and Allah the Most High knows best.” an-Nasaa’iee with the commentary of as-Suyooti and the footnotes from Imam as-Sindi, the Book of Eid Prayers, Ch. “The Concession for not attending Jumu’ah for one Who Attends Eid Salat”
And Allah knows best.
AS,
Can you please write more articles like these. I really enjoy them and the interesting views of the fiqh scenarios.
Assalamualaikum,
If we follow the school of thought of Imam Abu Hanifa, then what should we do? You said that the third opinion is the strongest, but the first is the opinion of the madh-hab I follow and it is not wrong.
JazakAllaahu Khair
http://www.askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.php?askid=b936fde1d12c66e3e9d30b8f16f942f9
Shaykh Yaser is the best, imho
I agree.
As-Salamu ‘alaykum
I live in a neighborhood that does announce that those who prayed ‘Eid, don’t have to come for Jum’ah Prayer. Khayr, the Hanabilah hold that opinion, but, as community leaders I don’t think they should give that opinion, since most people who do come to Juma’ prayer, a good majority, don’t pray dhuhr pray, as can be seen during Dhuhr prayer in the masjid, and so they shouldn’t give this opinion, as it gives the public the ‘option’, which in the end makes them not pray Dhuhr at all.
Akhi Mohammed, giving the people who prayed the Eid prayer the option of whether they want to pray Jumuah or not is the sunnah. When the Prophet peace be upon him prayed the Eid prayer on a Friday, he then gave people the option to come pray Jumuah or not. So there is nothing wrong if the people who prayed the Eid prayer chose not to show up for the Jumuah prayer.
It’s fine, some consider it sunnah, but my point is many people don’t pray Dhuhr either, so that ruling shouldn’t be given, i’m not looking at it from the point of sunnah or not, but if they would do what they should, that is either pray juma’ or dhuhr, so in order for people to keep praying, that ruling shouldn’t be announced. I’d like to see what Shaykh Yasir has to say, Inshallah.
Assalamu Alaikum
Actually, the position of the Hanafi maddhab is not the first position, but the second, same as the Shafi’iyyah. This article shows clearly that one should not determine the rulings of the legal guilds (maddhaahib) by referring to texts that are written by scholars not belonging to that maddhab. In this case, Ibn Rushd made a mistake in his Bidayat al Mujtahid.
After narrating the hadith of Uthman in his transmission of the Muwatta, where Uthman allowed the travelers from the outskirts of the city to leave without praying Jumu’ah, Imam Muhammad ibn al Hasan ash Shaybani adds:
وبهذا كله نأخذ، وانما رخص عثمان ÙÙŠ الجمعة لأهل العالية لأنهم ليسو من أهل المصر وهو قول ابي ØنيÙØ© رØمه الله
We adhere to all of this (i.e. it is permissible to not pray Jumu’ah if one lives far from the city) . Uthman was making a concession to the dwellers of Aliyah for they were not residents of the city. That is the verdict of Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him.
Imam Tahtawi adds that that is the position of the Hanafi maddhab as well in Hashiyah At Tahtawi Sharh Maraqi Al Falah.
Wallahu A’lam
Thank you, Shaykh, for the clear explanation of this issue.
It seems many issues in Islam come down to following multiple scholarly opinions because so many issues are gray, i.e. texts can be interpreted differently. That fundamental truth about Sharia and Fiqh cannot be reconciled with what many takfirist militant ideological preachers preach about a perfect black-and-white Sharia-law/ideology inherently opposed to “western” Secular-law/ideology. These are mental constructs; the reality is not so simple. Extremist Sharia rhetoric of the Anjem Choudary variety was born out of the efforts of some Muslims to resist Western imperialism, but one can be critical of Western ideology and law and resist imperialism without rejecting the “West” wholesale. Did not the Prophet, SAW, tell us that wisdom is the property of the believer, he should claim it wherever he finds it? Is there not wisdom in the Far East and the Far West?
Assalam Alaikum brother Justin
This hadith about wisdom being the item of the believer, where ever he finds it he takes it, it is not an authentic hadith and it has a very weak chain of narration.
Salaam ‘alaikum,
Are you sure? It’s attributed to Sayyidi Abu Hurayrah, radhiAllahu anhu in the Sunan of Imam al-Tirmidhi who graded it sahih.
Wa Alaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
Yes brother ilyas, i am sure. Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu narrated this hadith, and it is found in Sunan Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah among others, but it is not authentic and has a very weak chain of narration. Although Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah included this hadith in his Sunan but he commented on it and said that there is a weak narrator in its chain. So i’m not sure who told you that Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah has graded it as sahih, but you might want to let them know that he did not and he actually commented on its weakness.
I don’t know of any scholar of hadith who has graded this hadith as authentic, however there are many scholars of hadith who have commented on its weakness and said that it is not authentic.
I hope this answers your question bro.
Don’t you think the point I was trying to make is valid?
By the way, just because a hadith is weak does not mean the Prophet SAW did not say it. In fact, he might have said it so we should withhold judgment, although we can’t make a legal rule from it and it is not ranked as Sahih.
JazakAllahu khyran for this well-written article.
Shaykh Yaser, I was wondering about two issues, so if you could please explain them that would be highly appreciated:
1- To my understanding, the first and second opinions seem to be the same, i.e. the default is one must pray salatul Jumu’ah. I tried doing some compendious research and noticed that even Hanafi madh-hab gives a concession to people in the outskirts and suburbs of not attending Jumu’ah. Please explain because I fail to understand the fundamental difference between the two opinions.
2- I also noticed an usul-ul-fiqh issue that I wanted to clarify: For those who support the first/second opinions argue that Hadith is a very strong proof, but of a lower degree than the Holy Quran; therefore, it is not going to overtake the explicit command in the Qur’an regarding attending Salat-ul-Jumu’ah .
I was taught that an authentic hadith has the same level as a proof, but obviously differs in holiness. Therefore, if you could explain this disparity in understanding the status of hadith vs Qur’an with regards to using , I’d be grateful.
Wassalam
No, an authentic (sahih) hadith is not at the same level as mutawatur. That’s why the ahadith of Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud cannot abrogate the command in the Qur’an. And that is the position of Abu Hanifah, Malik, and Shafi’i, and the majority of the fuqaha.