What is the description of Friday prayer (Salatul Jumuah)? Is it permissible to perform it with unjust imams and their deputies?
Friday prayer is an important obligation in Islam; because Allah Almighty has said in His book: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾[1]; “O you who believed! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave business. That is better for you if you know.” It consists of two rak‘ats, by which the noon prayer is waived without any disagreement among Muslims. The beginning of its time is when the sun passes its zenith; because it is in the position of the noon prayer; as Anas ibn Malik has narrated «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْجُمُعَةَ حِينَ تَمِيلُ الشَّمْسُ»[2]; “that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, performed Jum‘ah prayer when the sun began to decline.” A similar report has been narrated from Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Zubayr ibn al-Awam, and Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas too, and Abu Ishaq has narrated «أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ عَلِيٍّ الْجُمُعَةَ حِينَ مَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ»[3]; “that he performed Friday prayer with Ali when the sun had declined.” Al-Tirmidhi has said: “The hadith of Anas is a good, authentic hadith, and it is what most scholars have agreed upon for the fact that the time for Friday prayer is when the sun passes its zenith, like the time for the noon prayer. This is the view of al-Shafi‘i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Some of them are of the view that if Friday prayer is performed before the sun passes its zenith, it is also permissible. Ahmad has said: ‘Whoever performs it before the sun passes its zenith need not repeat it.’”[4] This is because of what Abdullah ibn Saydan al-Salami has narrated; he said: “I witnessed Friday with Abu Bakr, and his prayer and sermon were before noon. Then I witnessed it with Umar, and his prayer and sermon lasted until I said: ‘It is midday.’ Then I witnessed it with Uthman, and his prayer and sermon lasted until I said: ‘The midday has passed.’ I never saw anyone finding fault with that or negating that.”[5] However, this is not sufficient; because it is a wahid report and does not mention the prayer and sermon of Ali, and it has been stated earlier that he differed from them in those two.
This is the beginning of the time for Friday prayer, but there is no definite text regarding the end of its time. Al-Shafi‘i and most Shias have said: “When the shadow of everything becomes equal to itself.” Abu Hanifa has said: “When the shadow of everything becomes twice itself.” Hasan and Ibrahim have said: “The time for Friday (prayer) is the time for the noon (prayer),”[6] and it appears that they meant its extension, and ibn Idris from Shias has held the same view[7]. It is also the apparent view of al-Tusi in al-Mabsut, where he has said: “If there remains of the time for the noon (prayer) enough time for two short sermons and two light rak‘ats, then Friday prayer is correct.”[8] Malik has said: “It is correct in the time for evening (prayer).”[9] What has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt is that its time is very narrow, and Zuhrarah has narrated from Abu Ja‘far, peace be upon him, that he said: «أَوَّلُ وَقْتِ الْجُمُعَةِ سَاعَةٌ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ إِلَى أَنْ تَمْضِيَ سَاعَةٌ»[10]; “The beginning of the time for Friday (prayer) is from the time when the sun passes its zenith until an hour passes.” In Arabic, the term «سَاعَةٌ»; “hour” has two meanings: one is that it represents a part of the twenty-four parts that make up the day and night, and the other is that it represents a small part of the day or night. This is what ibn Manzur has said in Lisan al-Arab. The more apparent meaning here is the second one, and Mansoor, may Allah Almighty protect him, has said that the end of the time for Friday prayer is about two hours after the sun passes its zenith; as one of our companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ وَقْتِ صَلَاةِ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَقَالَ: حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ إِلَى أَنْ يَمْضِيَ قَدَمَانِ، قُلْتُ: وَمَا قَدَمَانِ؟ قَالَ: سَاعَتَانِ مِنْ سَاعَاتِكُمْ أَوْ أَقَلُّ»; “I asked Mansoor about the time for Friday prayer. So he said: ‘When the sun passes its zenith until two qadams pass.' I said: ‘What are two qadams?' He said: ‘Two hours of your hours, or less.’”
One of the things that indicates this is the mutawatir reports from the Ahl al-Bayt that the time for the evening prayer on Friday is the same as the time for the noon prayer on other days, and the time for the noon prayer on other days is two hours after the sun passes its zenith. This is the most certain view; because there is no disagreement that Friday prayer is correct at this time, but there is disagreement about other times. Therefore, whoever misses Friday prayer at this time should perform the noon prayer as four rak‘ats.
Moreover, before the Friday prayer, two sermons must be delivered while standing; as one of our companions informed us, he said:
«قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: مِنْ أَيْنَ قُلْتَ إِنَّ خُطْبَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ مِنْ قِيَامٍ؟ قَالَ: لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا﴾[11]، قُلْتُ: صَدَقْتَ، وَمِنْ أَيْنَ قُلْتَ إِنَّهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ؟ قَالَ: لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾[12]، قُلْتُ: صَدَقْتَ»; “I asked Mansoor: ‘From where did you say that the sermon of Friday prayer is in the standing position?’ He said: ‘Because of the words of Allah that “when they see some business or entertainment, they scatter toward it and leave you standing.”’ I said: “You are right, and from where did you say that it is before the prayer?’ He said: " Because of the words of Allah that “when the prayer is finished, disperse through the land.”’ I said: ‘You are right.’”
Abu Hanifa has said that one sermon is sufficient, but there is no disagreement that the Sunnah is two sermons, and it has been narrated that Friday prayer has been made two rak‘ats in place of the two sermons, and therefore, they are essential. They must include mentioning Allah Almighty, sending peace upon His Prophet, reciting His Book, inviting toward good, enjoining right, and forbidding wrong; as Sama‘ah has narrated from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them, that he said: «يَنْبَغِي لِلْإِمَامِ الَّذِي يَخْطُبُ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَنْ يَخْطُبَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ، يَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يُوصِي بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ، وَيَقْرَأُ سُورَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ صَغِيرَةً، ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ، ثُمَّ يَقُومُ، فَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ، وَيُصَلِّي عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ، فَإِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ هَذَا أَقَامَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ»[13]; “It is desirable for the imam who delivers the sermon to people on Friday to do so while standing. He should praise Allah and speak of His glory, then enjoin (people) to observe piety before Allah and recite a small surah from the Quran. Then he should sit down and then stand up and praise Allah, speak of His glory, send peace upon Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, and upon the Imams of Muslims, and ask Allah to forgive believing men and women. When he is finished with these, the muezzin should give the call to prayer. Then he should lead people in two raka‘ats of prayer.”
The sermons must not include any idle talk or falsehood, such as praising unjust rulers, inviting toward evil, enjoining wrong, and forbidding right. If they include anything of these, then Friday prayer becomes invalid, and the witnesses must leave unless they fear for their lives. Similarly, if they know that the sermons will include idle talk or falsehood, it is not permissible for them to attend; because Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا﴾[14]; “And those who do not witness falsehood, and when they pass by idle talk, they pass by with dignity,” and said: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ﴾[15]; “And those who turn away from idle talk,” and said: ﴿وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ﴾[16]; “And when they hear idle talk, they turn away from it,” and said: ﴿فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ﴾[17]; “So avoid the abomination of idols, and avoid words of falsehood,” and said: ﴿وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ ۚ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِثْلُهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا﴾[18]; “He has already sent down to you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah being denied and mocked, you should not sit with them until they engage in a talk other than that, (or else) you will surely be like them. Indeed, Allah will gather hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.” Rather, it is not permissible to perform Friday prayer behind unjust rulers and their supporters, except in taqiyyah; because it is inclining toward oppressors, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْصَرُونَ﴾[19]; “And do not incline toward oppressors, lest the fire seize you, and you have no guardian but Allah, and then you will not be helped.” This is the reason why it is not permissible to perform Friday prayer before the Mahdi’s advent in countries where the government is in charge of its establishment, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia; because the imams there are government employees. Therefore, on the one hand, they are oppressors and it is not permissible to follow them, and on the other hand, in their sermons, they invite people to obey and help unjust rulers, and this is idle talk and falsehood that is forbidden to witness and listen to, but rather it is an example of immorality, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ﴾[20]; “Do you commit immorality while you see?!” As one of our companions informed us, he said:
«دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمَنْصُورِ فِي يَوْمِ جُمُعَةٍ، فَقَالَ لِي: صَلَّى هَؤُلَاءِ جُمُعَتَهُمْ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، فَقَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، مَا صَلُّوا، وَلَكِنْ لَغَوْا وَنَقَرُوا، قُلْتُ: إِنَّ فُلَانًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ يَدْخُلُ فِيهِمْ فَيُصَلِّيهَا مَعَهُمْ، قَالَ: وَيَفْعَلُ؟! قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: أَلَا يَخَافُ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ يُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ فِيهِمْ؟!»; “I went to Mansoor on a Friday. Then he said to me: ‘Did these people perform their Friday (prayer)?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘No, by Allah, they did not perform it, but rather they spoke idly and pecked (at the ground).’ I said: ‘So-and-so, one of your companions, goes among them and performs it with them.’ He said: ‘Does he do that?!’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Does he not fear that Allah will cause the earth to swallow them up or send down upon them a punishment from the heaven while he is among them?!’”
Also, one of our companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ صَلَاةِ الْجُمُعُةِ، فَقَالَ: فَرِيضَةٌ، قُلْتُ: لَا يُقِيمُهَا الْيَوْمَ عِنْدَنَا إِلَّا كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ، فَقَالَ: لَا تُصَلِّ مَعَهُمْ، فَإِنَّ مَنْ صَلَّى مَعَهُمْ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَّقِيَ مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً، وَكَانَ عِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: أَمَا كَانَ السَّلَفُ الصَّالِحُ يُصَلُّونَهَا مَعَهُمْ مُنْذُ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟! قَالَ: بَلَى، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ بَعْدَهَا أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ»; “I asked Mansoor about Friday prayer. So he said: ‘It is an obligation.’ I said: ‘Today, no one but a stubborn oppressor establishes it.’ He said: ‘Do not perform prayer with them; because whoever performs prayer with them is one of them unless he practices taqiyyah against them.’ There was a man with him; the man then said: ‘Did the righteous predecessors not perform it with them since the passing of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family?!’ He said: ‘Yes, but they performed four rak‘ats (as the noon prayer) after it.’”
His intended meaning is that the righteous predecessors did not consider their prayers behind oppressors to be valid. One of the things that indicates this is what Zurarah has narrated; he said: «قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: إِنَّ أُنَاسًا رَوَوْا عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ لَمْ يَفْصِلْ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِتَسْلِيمٍ، فَقَالَ: يَا زُرَارَةُ، إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ صَلَّى خَلْفَ فَاسِقٍ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ وَانْصَرَفَ قَامَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَمْ يَفْصِلْ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِتَسْلِيمٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ: يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ، صَلَّيْتَ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَمْ تَفْصِلْ بَيْنَهُنَّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهَا أَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ مُشَبَّهَاتٍ، وَسَكَتَ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَقَلَ مَا قَالَ لَهُ»[21]; “I said to Abu Ja‘far, peace be upon him: ‘Some people have narrated from Amir al-Mu’minin Ali, peace be upon him, that he performed four rak‘ats after Friday prayer without separating them with taslim.’ So he said: ‘O Zurarah! Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, performed prayer behind a sinner. When he finished the prayer and moved away, Amir al-Mu’minin stood up and prayed four ra‘kats without separating them with taslim. Then a man next to him said: “O Abu al-Hasan! You performed four rak‘ats without separating them.” So he said: “They were four similar rak‘ats.” He then kept silent, and by Allah, the man did not understand what he said to him,’” and what Humran ibn A‘yan has narrated; he said: «قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، إِنَّا نُصَلِّي مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فِي الْوَقْتِ، فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ؟ فَقَالَ: صَلُّوا مَعَهُمْ، فَخَرَجَ حُمْرَانُ إِلَى زُرَارَةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: قَدْ أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ مَعَهُمْ بِصَلَاتِهِمْ، فَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ: مَا يَكُونُ هَذَا إِلَّا بِتَأْوِيلٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ: قُمْ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ، قَالَ: فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ زُرَارَةُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، إِنَّ حُمْرَانَ زَعَمَ أَنَّكَ أَمَرْتَنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ مَعَهُمْ فَأَنْكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ لَنَا: كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ يُصَلِّي مَعَهُمُ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ، فَإِذَا فَرَغُوا قَامَ، فَأَضَافَ إِلَيْهِمَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ»[22]; “I said to Abu Ja‘far, peace be upon him: ‘May I be sacrificed for you! We perform prayer with these people on Friday, and they perform prayer on time. What should we do?’ He said: ‘Perform prayer with them.’ Humran then went out to Zurarah and said to him: ‘We have been commanded to perform prayer with them according to their prayer.’ Zurarah said: ‘This cannot be without interpretation.’ I said to him: ‘Come and hear it from him.’ Then we went to him, and Zurarah said to him: ‘May I be sacrificed for you! Humran claims that you have commanded us to perform prayer with them, and I have denied it.’ So he said to us: ‘Ali ibn al-Husain, peace be upon them, performed two rak‘ats with them. When they finished, he stood up and added two rak‘ats to them,’” and what Abu Kulayb has narrated; he said: “Hisham ibn Isma‘il delayed Friday prayer. Anas performed four rak‘ats as the noon prayer in his house, then he came and performed prayer with people.”[23]
Furthermore, one of the conditions for Friday prayer is the presence of a congregation of believers, consisting of at least five individuals: the imam who is indispensable, the muezzin who gives the call to prayer on Friday, as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ﴾; “When the call to prayer is made on Friday,” and three individuals from believers, as they constitute the minimum number of a congregation, and Allah Almighty has commanded it in the plural form and said: ﴿فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ﴾; “(You people) hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave business”; as one of our companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ أَقَلِّ عَدَدٍ يَنْعَقِدُ بِهِمُ الْجُمُعَةُ، فَقَالَ: الْإِمَامُ، وَالْمُنَادِي لِلصَّلَاةِ، وَثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ»; “I asked Mansoor about the minimum number that Friday prayer is established with them. So he said: ‘The imam, the one who gives the call to prayer, and three individuals from believers.’”
This is the content of the most authentic narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt. Abu Hanifa has said: “The minimum number is four,” al-Shafi‘i and Ahmad have said: “The minimum number is forty,” and the companions of Malik have not narrated a specific number from him.
Moreover, it is not permissible to establish more than one Friday prayer in one city; because it has been made obligatory to gather believers, not to disperse them; as it is realized by the words of Allah Almighty, where He has said: ﴿فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾; “When the prayer is finished, disperse through the land,” and it appears that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, did not call people together except in one mosque. Perhaps this is the intended meaning of the saying of Ali, peace be upon him, when he said: «لَا جُمُعَةَ وَلَا تَشْرِيقَ إِلَّا فِي مِصْرٍ جَامِعٍ»[24]; “There is no Friday (prayer) or tashriq except in the whole city,” and Abu Yusuf has said: “Abu Hanifa claimed that it reached him from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family.”[25] It has also been narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad that he sent someone to the people of Dhu al-Hulayfah, saying to them: “Do not gather there and enter the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family,”[26] unless the city is very large that it is difficult or burdensome to hasten to prayer after hearing the call; because Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ﴾[27]; “Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you,” and said: ﴿مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ﴾[28]; “Allah does not want to lay upon you any hardship.” In this case, it is permissible to establish more than one Friday prayer as long as it does not exceed the limit of necessity, and the narrated distance is three miles; as Jabir ibn Abdullah has narrated; he said: «قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَطِيبًا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَقَالَ: عَسَى رَجُلٌ تَحْضُرُهُ الْجُمُعَةُ وَهُوَ عَلَى قَدْرِ مِيلٍ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَا يَحْضُرُ الْجُمُعَةَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ: عَسَى رَجُلٌ تَحْضُرُهُ الْجُمُعَةُ وَهُوَ عَلَى قَدْرِ مِيلَيْنِ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَا يَحْضُرُهَا، وَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ: عَسَى يَكُونُ عَلَى قَدْرِ ثَلَاثَةِ أَمْيَالٍ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَلَا يَحْضُرُ الْجُمُعَةَ، وَيَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ»[29]; “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, delivered a sermon on Friday. He said: ‘Perhaps there is a man who attends Friday prayer while he is a mile away from the city, so he should not attend Friday prayer.’ Then he said in the second instance: ‘Perhaps there is a man who attends Friday prayer while he is two miles away from the city, so he should not attend it.’ He said in the third instance: ‘Perhaps there is a man who is three miles away from the city, so he should not attend Friday prayer, and Allah will seal his heart.’” Also, Muhammad ibn Muslim has narrated from Abu Ja‘far, peace be upon him, that he said: «لَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَ الْجُمُعَتَيْنِ أَقَلُّ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَمْيَالٍ، فَإِذَا كَانَ بَيْنَ الْجَمَاعَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْجُمُعَةِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَمْيَالٍ، فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يُجَمِّعَ هَؤُلَاءِ وَهَؤُلَاءِ»[30]; “There should not be a distance of less than three miles between two Friday prayers. If there are three miles between two congregations of Friday prayer, then there is nothing wrong with each congregation coming together (to establish Friday prayer).” Also, whoever faces difficulty or hardship in hastening to Friday prayer due to travel, illness, or weakness, it is waived from him; as Tariq ibn Shihab has narrated; he said: «قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: الْجُمُعَةُ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ إِلَّا أَرْبَعَةً: عَبْدٌ مَمْلُوكٌ، أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ، أَوْ صَبِيٌّ، أَوْ مَرِيضٌ»[31]; “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, said: ‘Friday prayer in congregation is an obligatory duty upon every Muslim, with the exception of four: a slave who is owned, a woman, a child, or a sick person,’” and ibn Umar has narrated; he said: «قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَيْسَ عَلَى مُسَافِرٍ جُمُعَةٌ»[32]; “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, said: ‘Friday (prayer) is not obligatory for a traveler.’”