Muslims in Toronto are facing a new challenge these days regarding jumuah salat timings. A few of the masjids here have started jumuah congregation before zuhr timings, as we are observing Daylight Saving Timing these days. Let me write you detail of timings: Today is September 08, 2008 Sunrise : 06:49 AM Sunset: 07:41 PM Zuhr salat time starts: 01:18 PM The masjids that are observing early jumuah prayer are conducting it at 12:30 PM. When some people went to one of the three local scholars who allowed early salat for an explanation of this act, he told that we don’t find any specific timing mentioned for jumuah prayer so we can do this as it is lunch time and in this way more people can easily attend jumuah congregation. Secondly, he told that the early timings of jumuah was also observed by the sahabah, so we can also do it as well. Please reply in detail and mention any early jumuah congregation from Quran, Hadith or Sahabah.

Jumuah Prayer Before Dhuhr Time

By Mufti Shafiq Jakhura (Darul Ihsan)
Posted: 6 Shawwal 1429, 06 October 2008

A.) The claim of the scholars that state that there has been no specific timing mentioned for Jumuah is incorrect. The books of jurisprudence that discuss Jumuah also discuss the timing of Jumuah. The majority of the Imams of the different schools of thought, (Hanafi Maliki and Shafi) are of the view that the time of Jumua only commences after zawaal (i.e. when the time of zawaal commences). It is only the Hanbali that state that the Jumuah salah could be performed before zawaal. Hence, to keep clear of any difference of opinion and as a matter of precaution, which is incumbent for us to exercise in matters of worship, the Jumuah salah must be performed after zawaal. Muslims living in the area that is affected by this should seek special dispensation from their places of work etc that will enable them to perform the Jumuah salah at the correct time.  

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best