What if I cannot go to
Jumu'ah Prayer....
FATWA 36530 IQA
I work in a factory as an electrician on call.
I work one day and take two days off. Sometimes the day I work is a Friday, and
because of the circumstances of my work I cannot go and pray Jumu’ah. Am I
doing anything wrong? What should I do? Please advise me.
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who hears the call to prayer on Friday and is one of those for whom
Jumu’ah is obligatory, has to respond to the call. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah
(prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu‘ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business (and every
other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!”
[al-Jumu’ah 62:9]
and it was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“People should stop neglecting Jumu’ah prayers or else Allaah will place a seal
over their hearts, then they will be among the negligent.” Narrated by Muslim,
865.
Based on this, you should tell your boss that you are going to go to Jumu’ah
prayer, and he should give you and other Muslims permission. You can tell him
that you will make up the time by doing extra work. And pray to Allaah to make
it easy for you.
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for
him to get out (from every difficulty)”
[al-Talaaq 65:2]
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about some
workers whose bosses did not give them permission to attend Jumu’ah prayer on
the grounds that they were guards on a farm.
He replied:
If these workers are so far from the mosque that they would not be able to hear
the adhaan without a loudspeaker, and they are outside the town, then they do
not have to pray Jumu’ah. The workers may rest assured that there is no sin on
them if they stay on the farm and pray Zuhr. But we advise their employer to
give them permission (to attend Jumu’ah) because that is better for him and
better for them; it may also soften their hearts towards him which may make
them more sincere in their work, unlike if he puts pressure on them. Many
workers ask to go to Jumu’ah prayer so that they can meet their friends and
acquaintances, hence you see them going to Jumu’ah and talking in the marketplace
until the imam comes, then when the imam comes they enter the mosque.
The point of the above is that if they can hear the call to prayer, or they are
inside the town, they should attend Jumu’ah; if they are outside the town and
cannot hear the call to prayer, then they do not have to do anything.
The Standing Committee was asked about a young man who works as a guard, and
his employer does not allow him to pray in the mosque. He beats him if he prays
in the mosque and threatens to send him back to his country.
They replied:
The five daily prayers should be offered in the mosque in congregation, so you
have to perform them in congregation in the mosque. You have to be patient and
seek reward in doing that, and Allaah will grant you ease after hardship.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for
him to get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever
puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will
accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
And you should note that there is no obedience to any created being if it
involves disobedience towards the Creator, so be with Allaah and Allaah will be
with you.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon
our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
And Allaah knows best.
See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/302; Liqa’ al-baab il-Maftooh, 1/413.
But if your leaving work to pray jumu’ah will adversely affect the factory,
such as the risk of machines breaking down or fires breaking out etc, and there
are other men in the factory with you, you can pray Jumu’ah in the factory, if
the factory is inside the town, or it is outside and you can hear the adhaan
without the aid of loudspeakers.
If the factory is outside the town and you cannot hear the adhaan without
loudspeakers, or you fear that leaving work at the time of prayer will cause
some problems at work, then this is an excuse for you not to pray Jumu’ah. In
that case you should pray Zuhr, in congregation is possible.
The Standing Committee (8/188) was asked about some employees of the Telegraph
and Telephone company whose work continues on Fridays at the time of the
prayer; if they stop working then the wireless and telephone communications
will cease. Is it permissible for them not to pray Jumu’ah?
The Committee replied that Jum’ah prayer is an individual obligation because of
the evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars. Then
they said:
But if there is a legitimate shar’i excuse for someone who is obliged to pray
Jumu’ah, such as if he is directly responsible for work that has to do with the
security of the ummah and guarding its interests, which means that he has to
take care of that during the time of Jumu’ah prayer – such as men who work in
the security forces, traffic police, those who work in wireless and telecommunications,
etc, who have to be on call at the time of the last call for Jumu’ah prayer or
when the iqaamah is given for a congregational prayer – they and others like
them are excused for not attending Jumu’ah or prayers in congregation, because
of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whatever I forbid you, avoid, and whatever I tell you to do, do as much of it
as you can.”
This excuse is not less than that of one who is excused from Jumu’ah and
praying in congregation, as long as the excuse still stands, but that does not
mean that he is excused from praying Zuhr, rather he must pray Zuhr on time,
and if it is possible to pray in congregation he must do so, as with all of the
five daily prayers.
The Committee was also asked (8/191) about a doctor who is on call in the
clinic at the time of Jumu’ah prayer to treat the sick or wounded who may need
emergency treatment. Is it permissible for him not to pray Jumu’ah? They
replied:
The doctor mentioned in the question is doing an important job that is of
benefit to the Muslims; if he goes to Jumu’ah prayer that will result in great
danger. So there is no sin on him if he does not go to Jumu’ah prayer, but he
has to offer Zuhr prayer on time, and if it is possible for him to pray in
congregation he must do so, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
If there are other colleagues on call with him, they have to pray Zuhr in
congregation.
And they were asked (8/192) about a guard in a gas station that is about two
kilometers outside the town, Is it permissible for him not to pray Jumu’ah,
knowing that the station has previously been robbed and set ablaze, and his
children and mahrams live there?
They replied:
If the matter is as described, then it is permissible for the guard to pray
Zuhr instead of Jumu’ah, so that he can guard what he mentioned, because of the
general meaning of the shar’i evidence which indicates that it is allowed not
to pray Jumu’ah in such cases.
They were also asked (8/194) about a group of between 13 and 15 employees who
work in a petrol refinery and pray Jumu’ah in their workplace because they
cannot go out to pray Jumu’ah because of their work.
They replied:
If the matter is as mentioned, you may pray Jumu’ah in your workplace, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabun 64:16]
Conclusion:
If you find that the interests of the Muslims as a whole or of an individual
will be affected – such as stealing of property, arson, destruction of property
etc – as a result of attending Jumu’ah, it is permissible not to attend and to
pray Zuhr instead.
But if the reason for not attending is to make more profit or to increase
productivity or to increase study time, or to keep this job and not lose it
because this job has a higher salary, and other such worldly interests, then
this is not a reason for which sharee’ah allows one to miss Jumu’ah. How can it
be, when Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah
(prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu‘ah
religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business (and every
other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!”
[al-Jumu’ah 62:9]?
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
misses Jumu’ah three times out of negligence, Allaah will place a seal over his
heart.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 500; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
So beware of being negligent about it.
__________________
You know Allaah; yet you do not obey
Him. You recite the Qur`aan; yet you do not act according to it. You know
Shaytaan; yet you continue agreeing with him. You claim to love the Messenger
of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam); yet you abandon his Sunnah (guidance
and way). You claim to love Paradise; yet you do not work for it. You claim to
fear the Fire; yet you do not stop sinning. You say: 'Indeed death it true';
yet you have not prepared for it. You busy yourself with the faults of others;
yet you do not look at your own faults. You eat the sustenance that Allaah
provides for you; yet you are not grateful to Him. And you bury your dead; yet you
have not heeded its lesson."
Ibraheem ibn Adham (rahimahuAllah)
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38207
