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The Friday Prayer

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Having jumu’ah prayer at high schools is crucial because it is sometimes the only exposure students get of Islam, and having the prayer at their lunch hour makes it convenient for the students to participate in it. The khutbahs have a powerful impact on them. At this time (in Canada) High school students have their lunch break before the time for dhuhur prayer starts, which makes it difficult to have jumu’ah prayer at the high schools at its proper time. Having the prayer after school (for example) does not bring a good attendance because most students want to go home. I know of a Hanbali position that allows the jumu’ah prayer to be made before the actual time for prayer begins; it was mentioned by Shaikh ‘Abdullah Adhami. He said that given the situation in high schools it is necessary to have the jumu’ah prayer even if it is before the time for prayer because of the greater goal involved. Are hanafis allowed to use this position, and if so, do we have to pray like Hanbalis. Also, since I have been told that the conditions for the validity of jumu’ah prayer are not being fulfilled today, should it even matter?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam,

Among the things to note is that the fuqaha’ have said that talfiq (piecing together the opinions of more than one mujtahid in one action) is invalid by scholarly consensus (ijma`). This is transmitted by Ibn Abidin, and Qasim ibn Qutlubugha of the Hanafis, and Ibn Hajar al-Haytami of the Shafi`is.

As such, it would not be valid for a Hanafi, as a Hanafi, to pray Jumu`ah before Zuhr time comes in.

In general, too, the solution to such issues is for the Muslims to make some noise and demand their rights. If, despite this, someone genuinely cannot make it to Jumu`ah, and are not reasonably able (in the long run) to find another job, then they should just pray Zuhr and regret not being able to get to Jumu`ah. However, they should take all reasonable means to be able to do so, whether by getting allowed on their present job to go, or by finding a job that allows them to do so.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Faraz Rabbani.

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

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