Answered by: Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Question
If someone leaves his hometown on Friday to his workplace, but his workplace doesn’t have a jummah nearby (I.e. anywhere in the town he’s working), what should he do? Note that his workplace is too far to commute back home for jummah, but is less than 48 miles from his hometown.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Salatul Jumuah is an obligation from Allah Azzawajjal upon every free, sane, healthy, non-travelling male with the ability to attend. It is an obligation to be prioritised in our life and not to be taken lightly, for the threats of punishment against one who leaves Salatul Jumuah regularly are very severe. As for what type of place Salatul Jumuah can be prayed in it can only be established in a large town, the definition of which can be taken as a town/city that has its own courts, or a town so large that if all of the male residents upon whom Jumuah is compulsory were to gather in its largest masjid it would not accommodate them all, or a place with over 10,000 residents.
Therefore, as you are not a traveller, praying Jumuah is an obligation upon you. If the town you are working is large enough to fulfil the above conditions then you can establish the Jumuah there yourself with a minimum of 4 people in total needed for the congregation (one imam and three followers). If you are unable to do this, you will have to commute to the nearest place where Jumuah is prayed, whether it is your hometown or a closer town that you can find. If your work town does not meet the conditions and is more like a village, then you may pray Salatul Dhuhr instead. May Allah Azzawajjal ease your affairs.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
أَمَّاالَّذِييَرْجِعُإلَىالْمُصَلِّيفَسِتَّةٌ: الْعَقْلُ،وَالْبُلُوغُ،وَالْحُرِّيَّةُوَالذُّكُورَةُ،وَالْإِقَامَةُ،وَصِحَّةُالْبَدَنِفَلَاتَجِبُالْجُمُعَةُعَلَىالْمَجَانِينَوَالصِّبْيَانِوَالْعَبِيدِإلَّابِإِذْنِمَوَالِيهمْ،وَالْمُسَافِرِينَوَالزَّمْنَى،وَالْمَرْضَ… وَأَمَّا الْإِقَامَةُ فَلِأَنَّ الْمُسَافِرَ يَحْتَاجُ إلَى دُخُولِ الْمِصْرِ وَانْتِظَارِ الْإِمَامِ وَالْقَوْمِ فَيَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْ الْقَافِلَةِ فَيَلْحَقُهُ الْحَرَجُ.. أَمَّا الْمِصْرُ الْجَامِعُ فَشَرْطُ وُجُوبِ الْجُمُعَةِ وَشَرْطُ صِحَّةِ أَدَائِهَا عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِنَا حَتَّى لَا تَجِبُ الْجُمُعَةُ إلَّا عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمِصْرِ وَمَنْ كَانَ سَاكِنًا فِي تَوَابِعِهِ وَكَذَا لَا يَصِحُّ أَدَاءُ الْجُمُعَةِ إلَّا فِي الْمَصْرِ وَتَوَابِعِهِ فَلَا تَجِبُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقُرَى الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ مِنْ تَوَابِعِ الْمَصْرِ وَلَا يَصِحُّ أَدَاءُ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيهَا… أَمَّا الْمِصْرُ الْجَامِعُ فَقَدْ اخْتَلَفَتْ الْأَقَاوِيلُ فِي تَحْدِيدِهِ ذَكَرَ الْكَرْخِيِّ أَنَّ الْمِصْرَ الْجَامِعَ مَا أُقِيمَتْ فِيهِ الْحُدُودُ وَنُفِّذَتْ فِيهِ الْأَحْكَامُ، وَعَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ رِوَايَاتٌ ذَكَرَ فِي الْإِمْلَاءِ كُلُّ مِصْرٍ فِيهِ مِنْبَرٌ وَقَاضٍ يُنْفِذُ الْأَحْكَامَ وَيُقِيمُ الْحُدُودَ فَهُوَ مِصْرٌ جَامِعٌ تَجِبُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ الْجُمُعَةُ، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ: إذَا اجْتَمَعَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مَنْ لَا يَسَعُهُمْ مَسْجِدٌ وَاحِدٌ بَنَى لَهُمْ الْإِمَامُ جَامِعًا وَنَصَبَ لَهُمْ مَنْ يُصَلِّيبِهِمْ الْجُمُعَةَ، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لَوْ كَانَ فِي الْقَرْيَةِ عَشْرَةُ آلَافٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ أَمَرْتُهُمْ بِإِقَامَةِ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيهَا… وَأَمَّا الْكَلَامُ فِي مِقْدَارِ الْجَمَاعَةِ فَقَدْ قَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ: أَدْنَاهُ ثَلَاثَةٌ سِوَى الْإِمَامِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ: اثْنَانِ سِوَى الْإِمَامِ، وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ: لَا تَنْعَقِدُ الْجُمُعَةُ إلَّا بِأَرْبَعِينَ سِوَى الْإِمَامِ
(البدائع الصنائع, كتاب الصلاة, فصل صلاة الجمعة, فصل بيان شرائط الجمعة, صفحة ٢٦٠, المكتبة الشاملة الحديثة)