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Is it permissible to hold a second Jumuah prayer in Canada and South Africa?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulifta-Deoband.com
Recently, our masjid here in Whitby, Ontario, Canada (Masjid-e-Ayesha, of which our family are the caretakers) made the decision to hold a second Jumuah prayer each Friday, due to a lack of space in the masjid. It is difficult or impossible to accommodate all the musallis on Fridays, especially during the cold winter months (as we cannot pray outdoors) and school holidays (when more children attend prayers) and so we felt this decision was necessary. It is quite commonplace in Canada, and several major masajid in our area hold a second (and even a third) Friday prayer.
One of our local imams, who is an Alim and highly respected within the community, announced at the most recent Friday prayer during his bayan that there is no place in Shariah for more than one Jumuah prayer, and emphatically stated he would boycott the 2nd prayer.
Our question is: Is it permissible to hold a second Friday prayer under any circumstances, and do our circumstances make it permissible? We recognize a solution would be to build another masjid nearby, or extend the existing facilities, but that may take several more years. In the meantime, our imam may have left musallis with the impression that their Jumuah salah would not be valid if they attend the second prayer.
Also, is it common practice in South Africa to hold a second Friday prayer where there is insufficient space? Our imam made the further claim that this was a uniquely North American phenomenon.

Answer

(Fatwa: 465/344/H=1434)

According to the Shariah, the sayings of that Alim Sahib is correct in principle. If any practice is followed in South Africa then it is not Shariah evidence. If you face some difficulties then present it to that Alim sahib, he shall come with some solution, in-shaAllah.

Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best

Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband

This answer was collected from the official ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband in India.

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