Answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
I have been considering becoming an elementary school teacher in the public schools; however I am concerned about what Friday prayers. I have called a few school districts and they say that it would be difficult accommodating my attending prayers while the students would be left without a teacher. In this circumstance, is one excused from the Friday prayer, as one would have an obligation to look after children?
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Assalamu alaykum
In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth
Friday is one of the most important of prayers for a Muslim. There are numerous warning for those who abandon the Friday Prayers. One hadith states that anyone who misses three Friday prayers consecutively a seal will be placed on his heart (Abu Dawud). Allah says:
O you who believe, when the call is made for the Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off all business. That is better for you, if you but know. When the Prayer is finished then disperse in the land and seek of God’s grace, and remember God much that you may prosper” (Qur’an 62:9).
Therefore, it is prohibited to abandon the Friday prayer directly or to voluntarily place oneself in a position where the Friday prayer would be missed. Situations of extreme need are exempted from this, for instance, a case of severe illness. Think about it, how long can any Muslim with iman in his heart bear to be away from the Friday prayer and the blessings that descend on such a congregation?
I would advise you to approach the education authority and request them to reconsider your case from the religious perspective. Many a time concessions are made based on religious requirements. Most schools have replacement teachers on staff who can easily fill in for the hour or so that it takes to leave and perform the Friday prayer.
If it is difficult for people of one locality to travel to another for the Friday prayer then it is necessary for them to establish a congregation in their own locality. This has become even the more necessary with urban sprawl and increased traffic where it has become difficult for people of a city to assemble in one central location and hold one congregation.
A congregation for the five daily prayers has to be established in a masjid otherwise the local inhabitants would be sinful for negligence, since it is a wajib to perform the congregational prayers for the locals in the masjid. Allama Ibn Abidin writes regarding tarawih prayer which is a confirmed sunna and not wajib:
The apparent purport of their [jurists] statement is that it is a communal sunna to perform it [tarāwīh] in congregation in the masjid, to the extent that if they performed it in congregation in their homes, and no congregation took place in the masjid, they would all be sinful (Radd al-Muhtār 1:473).
Hence, if this is the case for a confirmed sunna congregation, it would be more binding to have a congregation for every obligatory prayers in each locality. The Messenger of Allah (upon him be peace) said, “There is no salāt for the neighbor of the masjid except in the masjid” (Dāraqutnī, Hākim from Kashf al-Khafā’).
The Friday congregation is more necessary. If a congregation for the Friday prayer is not held locally then this may be the ideal time to begin one. A room at the school in the lunch hour with four Muslim males would suffice to hold the Friday congregation.
May Allah preserve your faith and bless you.
Wassalam
Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf
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