could we leave Shalat Jumu’ah (Friday
praying) when we ‘re travelling (musafir)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Salaat al-Jumuah (Friday prayer) is not obligatory on the
traveller. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, including the followers of the
four schools of Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafai and Ahmad
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Fataawa (24/178): The
correct opinion, without a doubt
is that this (Jumuah and Eid prayers) are not
obligatory for the traveller. The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to travel frequently: he performed Umrah three times, besides the
Umrah he performed along with Hajj. He performed his Farewell Pilgrimage accompanied
by thousands upon thousands of people, and he went on more than twenty military campaigns,
but there are no reports at all that say he prayed Jumuah or Eid prayers when
travelling; he just prayed two rakahs [i.e., shortened prayers] as on all the other
days. There are also no reports that say he preached a khutbah on a Friday when he was
travelling, neither standing on his own two feet or from atop his camel, as he used to do
on Eid, or from a minbar, as he used to do on Fridays. He occasionally used to deliver an
address to the people when he was travelling, and this was narrated by them
but
no-one reported that he delivered a khutbah to them before prayer on a Friday whilst
travelling, and no-one reported that he recited Quraan aloud on a Friday (i.e.,
during Salat al-Zuhr, on a journey). Of course, if he had done something out of the
ordinary and recited aloud or delivered a khutbah, they would have reported it. On the Day
of Arafaah, he delivered a khutbah, then he came down and led them in a
two-rakah prayer, but no one reported that he recited aloud in that prayer. That
khutbah was not for Jumuah because if it had been for Jumuah, he would
have done the same (delivered a khutbah) on every other Friday (when he was travelling);
that khutbah was given because it was part of the rituals (of Hajj). Hence all the Muslim
scholars said that he would have given a khutbah at Arafaah even if it had not been
a Friday. This mutawaatir report proves that it was a khutbah for the Day of
Arafaah, not for Friday.
From the above we know that Jumuah is not obligatory for the
traveller, all that he has to do is to pray Zuhr. However, if he prays Jumuah with
the people of the place he is visiting, this is OK. It says in al-Sharh al-Kabeer
(2/154): Whoever of these people travellers, slaves and women attends
Jumuah, does not have to pray Zuhr, and we know of no dispute on this point. Their
exemption from having to attend Jumuah is to make things easy for them, but if they
attend, it is OK, as is the case with the sick person. It is preferable for the traveller
to attend Jumuah, because this is better, and is on the safe side (because some
scholars think that Jumuah is obligatory for the traveller who is staying in a
particular place, but not for the traveller who is on the road), as he comes under the
general meaning of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): O you who believe!
When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah on the Day of Friday (Jumuah prayer),
come to the remembrance of Allaah, and leave off business (and every other thing), that is
better for you, if you did but know! [al-Jumuah 62:9].
We have already stated that the majority of scholars say that generally
speaking it is not obligatory. And Allaah knows best.
