Answered by: Shaykh Umer Khan
Question
Is Jumuah Salah valid at a rest area? For example there are a few people traveling on Friday during Zuhr time, and they decide to stop at a rest area and pray. Can they pray Jumuah or this is considered to be “outside of the city”?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
According to the Ḥanafī madhhab, Friday (Jumuʻah) prayers are only valid in a city or town (Marāqī al-Falāḥ, 1/193). A rest area would not be considered an acceptable location while traveling. Friday prayers are not obligated upon travelers (so long as the travel starts before the beginning time of Ẓuhr prayer), so they can pray Ẓuhr instead.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Shaykh Umer Khan
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham