If jumu’ah prayer is missed at the masjid, should it be prayed as dhuhr or to be considered jumu’ah? What is the ruling for men, women, slaves, and the traveler? What was Sheikh Nasir Al-Albany’s opinion about this matter?.


Praise be to Allaah.

If a man does not attend Jumu’ah due to a legitimate excuse
such as sickness and so on, or for some other reason, he should pray Zuhr.
Similarly a woman should pray Zuhr. Travellers and desert dwellers should
also pray Zuhr, as is indicated by the Sunnah, because during the Farewell
Pilgrimage, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) stood at ‘Arafah on a Friday he led the people in praying Zuhr and he
did not lead them in praying Jumu’ah, because he did not order the people of
the desert (people who live outside cities and towns) to pray Jumu’ah.  

This is the view of the majority of scholars, and the view of
those who held odd opinions should not be taken into account. The one who
misses Jumu’ah deliberately also has to repent to Allaah and offer it as
Zuhr prayer. 

See Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat
al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him) (12/332). 

As for the view of Shaykh Naasir al-Albaani (may Allaah have
mercy on him), it is in accordance with the view of the majority of scholars
on this matter. In his essay al-Ajwabah al-Naafi’ah (p. 47) he quotes the
words of Siddeeq Hasan Khan: Jumu’ah is an obligation that Allaah, may He be
glorified and exalted, has enjoined upon His slaves. If a person misses it
for some reason, there should be evidence that Zuhr prayer is required. The
hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, “If you miss the two rak’ahs then you should pray
four rak’ahs” indicates that the one who misses Jumu’ah must pray Zuhr. 

Then al-Albaani commented on these words by agreeing with
them and classing the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with
him) as saheeh. Among the things that he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
was: 

Perhaps the author quoted the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood as
evidence even though it is mawqoof because he did not know of anyone among
the Sahaabah who disagreed with that. It is supported by the meaning that is
understood from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: “Whoever catches up with one
rak’ah of Jumu’ah prayer has caught up with Jumu’ah.” It is also supported
by the report narrated in al-Musannaf (1/206/1) with a saheeh isnaad
from ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Dhu’ayb who said: I went out with al-Zubayr on
a Friday and he prayed Jumu’ah with four rak’ahs. This ‘Abd al-Rahmaan is
the son of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Dhu’ayb who was mentioned by Ibn Hibbaan in
al-Thiqaat (6/122/1) who said: He was an orphan who was under the
care of al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam. 

The hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood indicates that Zuhr is the basic
obligation, and that it is what is required of the one who does not pray
Jumu’ah. This is supported by several things: 

1 – It is well known that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions used to pray Zuhr on
Fridays if they were travelling, but they would offer it in shortened form. 

If the basic obligation on Friday was Jumu’ah prayer, they
would have offered the two rak’ahs as Jumu’ah.  

2 – ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ma’daan narrated that his grandmother
said: ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said to us (women): When you pray with the
imam on Friday, pray as he prays, but if you pray in your houses, then pray
four rak’ahs.” Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah (1/207/2). Its isnaad going back
to the grandmother of Ibn Ma’daan is saheeh, but who she is I do not know.
It seems that she was a Taabi’i woman, not one of the Sahaabah, but (this
report) is supported by what al-Hasan said, that a woman who attends the
mosque on a Friday should pray with the imam, and that will be sufficient
for her. Its isnaad is saheeh in the report via Ash’ath from al-Hasan who
said: The women of the Muhaajireen used to pray Jumu’ah with the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and they
regarded that as sufficient and did not think that they had to pray Zuhr as
well. 

I said: The one who claims that the basic obligation on
Friday is Jumu’ah prayer, and that the one who misses it or is not obliged
to pray it, such as travellers and women, should pray two rak’ahs of
Jumu’ah, has gone against these texts with no evidence. Then I saw that
al-San’aani (2/74) stated something similar and that if a person misses
Jumu’ah he must pray Zuhr according to scholarly consensus, and (Zuhr) is a
replacement for (Jumu’ah). End quote. 

Similarly, with regard to women, the scholars are unanimously
agreed that Jumu’ah prayer is not obligatory for women and that they may
pray Zuhr in their homes with four rak’ahs on Fridays. 

Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Ijmaa’
(no. 52): They are unanimously agreed that Jumu’ah is not
obligatory for women. End quote. 

The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Taariq ibn Shihaab
(may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jumu’ah is a duty that is
required of every Muslim in congregation except four: a slave, a woman, a
child or a sick person.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (1067). Al-Nawawi said in
al-Majmoo’
(4/483): Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of
the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari
(5/327): Its isnaad is saheeh. Ibn Katheer said in Irshaad al-Faqeeh
(1/190): Its isnaad is jayyid. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (3111). 

For more information on this topic, please see question no.
73339

And Allaah knows best.