When Eid Falls on a Friday

7/29/2019 When Eid Falls on a Friday

1/21

1

Salal Ahmed Haque V.19th Dhul-ijjah, 1433/25th October 2012

When Eid Falls on a FridayIn the Name of Allh, ajj npaqe q dse rm Ajjh ald kaw neace ald bjeqqlgq be snml rhe

Messenger of Allh.

Thq eqqaw ujj dqcsqq rhe foh psjlgq pejared rm mle mf rhe rum bjeqqed dawq mf dcmlcdlg urh rhe Daw mf Jsksah. The primary focus of the discussion will revolve

apmsld uherhep a nepqml q mbjged rm npaw Jsksah ml rhe daw mp lmr. I ujj be evakllg

the disparate views of the jurists by presenting their arguments and evaluating their

positions. I will attempt to demonstrate the soundest view concerning the issue and

highlight any ensuing implications that may arise.

The OpinionsThe teuq mf rhe spqrq cmlcepllg uherhep a nepqml q mbjged rm npaw Jsksah ml al d

day can be grouped into three overarching opinions:

First Opinion d Ppawep Dmeq Nmr Ssffice for Jumuah PrayerThe fpqr mnlml q rhar a nepqml q mbjged rm npaw rhe Jsksah npawepaq rhe d npawep

alone does not suffice for it. The proponents of this view are of two types: those, such as

Imk Mji ald Ikk Ab anfah, who contest that mle ksqr npaw bmrh rhe d npawep,

uhch rhew hmjd rm be mbjgarmpw, ald rhe Jsksah npawep.1 The second group, represented

by the prominent hp spqr Ibl azm,2admnr rhe teu rhar rhe d npawep q a hghjw

recommended deed but not obligatory bsr rhew agpee urh rhep cmslrepnaprq rhar Jsksah

must be prayed.

1Ibn Rushd, Muammad b. Amad. Bidyat aj-Mujtahid wa Nihyat aj-Muqtaid, ed. Muammad ubal-allo, 4 tmjq. Riy: Dp

al-Mughn, 1432/2011, tmj. 1, n. 549; Ibn Anas, Mji.Al-Mudawwanah al-Kubr, 4 vols. Beirut: Dp aj-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah,

1415/1994, vol. 1, pp. 233-4; al-Nawaw, Ab Zaiapww Ms aj-Dl b. Shapaf. Kitb aj-Majm Shar Muhadhdhab li al-Shrz,

Muammad Najb aj-Mu, 11 vols. Jeddah: Maktabat al-Irshd, [n.d.], vol. 2, p. 359.2Ibn azm, Ab Msakkad Aj b. Akad b. Sad.Al-Muall Shar al-Mujall, Amad Muammad Shkir (ed.), 2nd Edition, 8

vols. Beirut: Dp Iy al-Turrh aj-Arab, 1422/2001, vol. 5, p. 63.


2/21

2


The evidences stated to support the mnlml rhar mle q mbjged rm nepfmpk rhe Jsksah

npawep ml al d daw lcjsdeq rhe tepqe fpmk Spat al-Jumuah which establishes the

general obligation for the performance of the service:

Bejetepq! Whel rhe cajj rm npawep q kade ml rhe daw mf Jsksah,

hurry towards the reminder of Allh ald jeate mff rpadlg that is

berrep fmp wms f wms bsr ileu. [62:9]

The Qurlic text, they argue, takes precedence over the Sunnah in instances where there

anneapq rm be a cjaqh qlce rhe Ssllah callmr abpmgare alw naqqage l rhe Qspl. Ibn

azm further questions the strength of two of the narrators of the reports which indicate

mle q lmr peosped rm npaw Jsksah3 we shall look at these later inshAllh. One final

point the eminent anbal spqr Ibn Qudkah kelrmlq uhel crlg rhe etdelceq ald

arguments used to support the first opinion is that both prayers are independently

obligatory thus one cannot be dropped for the other4 i.e. two independent obligations have

to be performed independently and cannot be fused together.

Second Opinion - d Ppawep Ssfficeq fmp Jsksah Ppawep Uljeqq Ole Liteq LmcajjwThe second opinion iq rhar mle ksqr arreld rhe Jsksah npawep f he jteq jmcajjw

otherwise, those living on the outskirts of a town or city are excused from attending the

Jsksah npawep. The evidences cited in support of this opinion include a report mentioned

in al-Bukhps a:

AbUbawd rhe cjelr mf Ibl Axhap qrared, I urleqqed d urh Urhkl b. Affl and

that day was Jumuah qm he npawed befmpe rhe qepkml ald rhel addpeqqed rhe nemnje, O

nemnje, rmdaw q a daw l uhch rum dq hate garheped. Sm uhmetep fpmk Ahl al-Auj

umsjd jie rm uar fmp Jsksah rhel jer hk dm qm ald uhmetep uqheq rm perspl rhel I

nepkr hk rm dm rhar.5

3Ibid.

4Ibn Qudkah, aj-Muwaffaq al-Dl Ab Msakkad Abd Ajjh b. Amad al-Maqdis.Al-Mughn, 5th Edition, eds. Abd Allh b.

Abd al-Musin al-Turk ald Abd al-Fatt Muammad al-alw, 15 vols. Riy: Dp lam al-Kutub, 1419/1999, vol. 3, p. 242.5al-Bukhr, Muammad b. Isml. a al-Bukhr. Riy: Dr al-Salm, 1419/1999, p. 990, no. 5572.


3/21

3


Al addrmlaj etdelce cred q a penmpr arrpbsred rm Ukap b. Abd aj-Axx l uhch he

said, Tum dq cmkbled dsplg rhe rke mfthe Prophet so he said,

Whmetep uqheq rm qr fpmk Ahj aj-Aulyah then let him sit without pressure.6

Il dqcsqqlg rhe lapparml mf Urhkl , al-Nawaw qrareq rhar it is used to allow Ahl al-

Awj rm kqq Jsksah ml al d daw7. The term al-jwah pefepq rm a tjjage l Madlah l

the eastern direction and Ahl al-Saud pefepq rm rhe nemnje mf rhe tjjageq uhm cal heap

rhe cajj rm npawep ald snml uhmk arreldalce mf Jsksah q mbjgarmpw l rhe crw ml lml-

d dawq.8 Al-Shpxstates in the text al-Nawaw q evnjallgrhar Urhkl was not

censured by anyone at all for his actions9 thereby indicating the approval of the

Companions who would have otherwise spoken out against him if his actions were

incongruent with the Sunnah.

Al-Shpx fsprhep opines that the reason for their concession was that that if they had

qrawed apmsld fmp rhe Jsksah rhew umsjd lmr hate beel abje rm elmw d ald gmlg baci

hmke ald perspllg fmp Jsksah umsjd hate beel dffcsjr fmp rhek rhus the omission of

Jsksah mbtareq that difficulty.10 He also states, that some mf rhe Shfwwah rhmsgh qaw

Jsksah q mbjgarmpw snml uhmketep r q lmpkajjw mbjgarmpw snml ml alw mrhep daw aldhe must pray it along with the city dwellers. The first position, however, is what is stated

in al-Umm to which we now turn.11

After mentioning both of these reports, al-Shf kelrmlq l al-Umm that if the Day of al-

Fir coincides with a Friday then the Imk qhmsjd npaw rhe d prayer at the time it is

permitted to do so and then announce to the congregation - other than the residents of the

city - rhar rhew kaw perspl rm rhep fakjeq ald lmr perspl fmp Jsksah.12 Thus they had a

6al-Shf, Msammad b. Idrq.Al-Umm, 2nd Edition, Dr. Rfar Faux Abd al-Mualib (ed.), 11 vols. al-Manpah: Dp aj-Waf,

1425/2004, vol. 2, p. 515-6.

7Al-Nawaw, Majm, vol. 2, p. 359.

8Ibid, p. 358.

9Ibid, p. 358.

10Ibid, p. 358.

11Ibid, p. 358.

12Al-Shf, al-Umm, vol. 2, p. 516.


4/21

4


chmce rm pekal slrj rhew nepfmpked Jsksah mp rm cmke baci agal fmp Jsksah l mpdep

to pray it if they wished. If they were unable to do that then there would be no harm. Al-

Shf rhel evnjcrjw qrareq rharetel f r q rhe daw mf d it is still impermissible for local

residents to miss the Jumuah service except for those who had a legally valid excuse. He

cmlcjsdeq bw qrarlg rhar rhq ajqm annjeq f r q d aj-A.

13

Thus the position of the Shf qchmmj mf jau, aq deqcpbed bw aj-Nawawand of course the

eponym of the school itself, al-Shfi, is rhar r q mbjgarmpw rm npaw Jsksah fmp rhe crw

dwellers but not for those living on the outskirts.

13Ibid.


5/21

5


Third Opinion - d Ppawep Ssfficeq fmp Jsksah PpawepThe third opinion is that one can choose to or not to arreld rhe Jsksah npawep. Ibn

Qudkah qrareq rhar rhq teu q hejd bwUkap, Urhkl, Al, Sad, Ibl Ukap, Ibl Abbq

and Ibn al-Zubayr amongst the Companions . Al-Shab, aj-Nakha ald aj-Awz ajqm

support this view.14 However, the concession, in their opinion is contingent upon whether

mp lmr rhe nepqml arrelded rhe d npawep. Thsq f mle arrelded rhe d npawep he q evcsqed

from attending rhe Jsksah npawep. Thepe ape rum qrpaldq urhl rhq mnlml however.

One group holds the view that rhe evcenrml rm kqq rhe Jsksah npawep annjeq rm

everyone including the Imk. The second group however claim that the Imk ksqr hmjd

the Jumuah prayer urh aq kalw nemnje leeded rm fsjfj a Jsksah npawep. Before moving

onto those strands I will present the evidences for the overarching view.

The etdelceq sqed rm qsnnmpr rhe teu rhar rhe d npawep qsffceq fmp rhe Jsksah npawep

can be found in a number of books ofadrh. One such adrh q from Iyq b. Ab Rakjah aj-

Shkwho reports witnessing a conversation which took place between the Companions

Msuwah b. Ab Ssfwl ald Zawd b. Apoak regarding d coinciding with a Friday. He

stated:

I urleqqedMswiyah b. AbSufyn while he was asking Zayd b.

Apoak, Dd wms urleqq rum ds coinciding in one day with the

Messenger of Allh ?

He replied:

Yeq.

He asked:

Whar dd he dm?

He said:

He npawed d ald rhel gate cmlceqqml fmp Jsksah ald qad:

14Ibn Qudkah, al-Mughn, vol. 3, pp. 242.


6/21

6


Whoever wishes to pray then let him pray.15

Ab Hspawpah ald Ibl Abbq also mention the same from the Prophet but add

that the Prophet declared he would still be holding theJsksah npawepq. Ab Hspawpah

for instance reported from the Messenger of Allh that he said:

Tum ds have coincided on this day of yours; so whoever wishes, it

ujj qsffce hk fmp Jsksah ald ue ujj be npawlg Jsksah.16

Ibl Abbq reports similarly from the Messenger of Allh who said:

Tum ds have coincided on this day of yours, so whoever wants, it will

qsffce hk fmp Jsksah; ue ujj hmuetep npaw Jsksah f Ajjh ujjq.17

Ibl Ukap reports similarly to both Ab Hspawpah ald Ibl Abbq . He stated:

Tum dq cmlcded dsplg rhe rke mf rhe Meqqelgep mf Ajjh so he

prayed with the people and then said, Whmetep uqheq rm cmke rm

Jsksah rhel jer hk cmke ald uhmetep ualrq rm qraw auaw rhel jer

hk qraw auaw.18

Ibn al-ZubayrIn addition to the above mentioned reports which explicitly state the Prophet gave

those who attended rhe d npawep cmlceqqml fmp kqqlg rhe Jsksah npawep ue ajqm hate

rhe penmprq mf A b. Ab Rab and Wahb b. Kaysl pegapdlg uhar rhe Cmknalml Ibl aj-

Zubayr did in Makkah when he was the Amp during the time uhel rhe dq cmlcded.

A b. AbRab said:

15Ab Dud, Ssjawk b. Aj-Aqharh aj-Sijistl. Sunan Ab Dwd, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b. aqal j Sajkl (ed.). al-Riy:

Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.], no. 1310.

16Ibid, no. 1073.

17Ibn Mah, Ab Abd Allh Muammad b. Yazd al-Qazwl. Sunan Ibn Mah, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b. aqal j Sajkl (ed.).

al-Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.], no. 1311.

18Ibid, no. 1312.


7/21

7


Ibl aj-Zubayr prayed during the first part of the morning with us on

d daw ml Fpdaw. We rhel qer msr fmp Jsksah bsr he dd lmr cmke msr

rm sq qm ue npawed ldtdsajjw. Ibl Abbs was at f ar rhe rke qm

when he arrived we mentioned that to him and he said:

He haq knjekelred rhe Ssllah.19

Il almrhep penmpr he kelrmlq rhe qnecfc d:

qad,

Fpdaw ald d al-Fir coincided during the time of Ibn al-Zubayr so he

qad rhar rum ds have gathered on one day and prayed them together

thus he prayed two units early morning without adding anything to

rhek slrj he npawed Ap.20

As for Wahb b. Kaysan, in one report he stated that,

Tum ds coincided during the time of Ibn al-Zubayr so he delayed

coming out until the day had heightened. He then came out, delivered

the sermon, made the sermon long, descended, prayed and the peopledd lmr npaw Jsksah ml rhar daw. Thq uaq kelrmled rm Ibl Abbs

who said:

He haq knjekelred rhe Ssllah.21

In the amf Ibl Khsxawkah, Wahbq penmrt contains further details to the incident. He

provides the reason why the matter of Ibn al-Zubayr kqqlg Jsksah uaq pefepped rm

Ibl Abbq upon his return from f. He ajqm lappareq al knmpralr ald cprcaj

addition in which Ibn al-Zubayr supports hq acrml bw pefepplg rm rhe facr rhar Ukap

b. Al-Khab had done the same. Wahbq report is as follows:

19Ab Dud, lm. 1071.

20Ibid, no. 1072.

21al-Naq, Ab Abd aj-Raml Akad b. Shsawb b. Aj. Sunan al-Nas, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b. aqal j Sajkl (ed.). al-

Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.], no: 1592.


8/21

8


I urleqqed Ibl aj-Zubayr in Makkah while he was the Amp uhel d

Fir or A coincided with Friday, so he delayed his coming out until

day time had risen. He came out, ascended the pulpit, sermonised and

npmjmlged r ald rhel npawed rum slrq ald dd lmr npaw Jsksah. The

people from BanUkawwah b. Abd Shakq cprcqed hk fmp rhar. Thqpeached Ibl Abbq uhm qad: He knjekelred rhe Ssllah. This

reached Ibn al-Zsbawp uhm qad, I qau Ukap b. Aj-Khab do the

qake rhlg uhel rum dq cmlcded.22

So, now that we have mentioned the evidences for each view, we will now turn our

attention to evaluating them and seeking to establish the strongest view.

22Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad b. Iso. a Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad Mutaf aj-Azam(ed.), 4 vols. Beirut: al-Maktab al-

Islk, 1400/1980, tmj. 2, pp. 359-360, no: 1465 and Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad b. Iso. a Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad

Mutaf aj-Azam. Riy: Maktabah al-Aam, 1430/2009, p.338, no:1465.


9/21

9


Evaluating the ArgumentsThe First Opinion Jsksah iq ObjigarmpwIl pejarml rm rhe fpqr mnlml uhch qrareq rhar mle q mbjged rm arreld rhe Jsksah

npawep dse rm rhe Qsplc revr railg npecedelce mtep Ssllc revrq r haq rm be lmred rhatthere is no contradiction or clash between the texts since the Sunnah is merely providing

an exception to the rule as is part of the role of the Sunnah which in essences is to

evnjcare rhe gelepaj npecenrq mf rhe Qspn. Since the Sunnah is merely explaining the

gelepaj npecenrq mf rhe Qspn in this instance, there is little ground for arguing that the

Ssllah callmr abpmgare rhe Qsplc naqqage cmlcepllg rhe absolute obligation of

Jumuah. The issue is one of specification and exception and not abrogation.

Those who adopt the first view based on the evidences mentioned above are in fact

neglecting and failing to implement the evidences holistically. This opposes the principle:

Op l Elgjqh: Hapkmlxarml q gtel npecedelce mtep naprajrw i.e. giving preference to

one set of evidences at the expense of the other when they may be of equal strength.

Those who adopt the adrh rhar npmtde al evcenrml fmp d daw ape l facr

knjekelrlg bmrh rhe Qspl ald Ssllah l hapkmlw rhepebw annjwlg rhe nplcnje

used when dealing with alleged cases of textual conflicts and contradictions that:

Or in English: Tm knjekelr q more deserving rhal rm glmpe i.e. acting upon a synthesis

of evidences is more deserving than ignoring some and only acting by others.

Ibn axkq dmsbrq pegapdlg rhe asrhelrcrw mf rhe penmprq q balqhed bw rhe facr rhar

there are numerous supporting and corroborating reports which strengthen each other to


10/21

10


leave no doubt in the minds of the leading adrh evneprq rhar rhey are in fact sound.

References to such experts will be made later inshAllh.

Aq fmp rhe apgskelr rhar Jsksah callmr be dpmnned fmp d npawep becasqe rhew ape rum

independent obligatory acts thus they cannot be fused and must be performed separately

then the reply is as follows: it is true that two independent obligatory acts cannot be fused,

hmuetep l rhq lqralce rhe mbjgarml mf Jsksah q rspled lrm mle mf chmce f mle npawq

rhe d npawep rhsq mle mbjgarml (rhe d npawep) q belg fsqed urh al mnrmlaj acr (rhe

Jumsah npawep) uhch q nepkqqbje.

Due to the above reasons and the arguments that follow, the first opinion is fatally

untenable.

The Second Opinion Exemption for Non-localsThq teu q decdedjw qrpmlgep rhal rhe fpqr. The penmpr mf Ukap b. Abd aj-Axx

mentioned by al-Shf l al-Umm however is inadmissible as evidence due to the fact that

it is disconnected in its chain of narration (isnd) since he did not meet the Prophet .

This is termed mursal in adrh napjalce. The missing link between him and the Prophet

is unknown hence disallowing the possibility of evaluating the qualifications and moral

probity of the omitted narrator thus rendering it unsound.

The authenticity of the penmpr mf Urhkl however is beyond reproach largely due to

the fact that it is reported in none other than the a of al-Bukhp aq ue hate lmred

before. Urjqlg rhq penmpr rm dedsce rhe teu rhar rhe evcsqe rm kqq Jsksah ml al d

day only applies to those living on the outskirts of the city however is untenable due to the

fact that doing so would mean one is ignoring other sound evidence which indicate that

the concession is not so limited in its coverage of people. These evidences have all been

mentioned above.


11/21

11


The Third Opinion d Ssfficeq fmp JsksahThis view is undoubtedly the strongest. The reports of the Companions Ab Hspawpah, Ibl

Ukap ald Abd Ajjh b.Abbq as well as those of later reporters such as the notable

A and the relatively unknown Iyq b. Ab Rakjah along with similar corroborating

reports from Wahb b. Kaysl ajj ldcare rhar mleuhm haq npawed rhe d npawep is not

required to attend Jumuah ml al d daw23 whether one lives locally or on the outskirts of

the city or town.

The doubt over Iyq delrrw q krgared bw rhe facr rhepe ape lskepmsq cmppmbmparing

reports which have been mentioned above. Those who have declared the report of Iyq rm

be sound include al-Albl, Shsayb al-Apl et al in their edition of Imk Akadq

Musnad24, al-Bayhaqwho reports Iyq lapparml l hq cmjjecrml mf penmprq bst does not

criticise it at all although he points out the criticisms of opposing traditions25 and Ab

Dud whose silence is supposed to be an indication of his view that the adrh q qmsld

etc.

The argument of those who concede the Prophet did give concession to people to miss

Jsksah ml d daw bsr rhar r mljw pefepq rm Ahj aj-Auj qnecfcajjw ald dmeq lmr eveknrthe locals due to rhe lapparml mf Urhkl is untenable. Firstly, the adrh q abqmjsrejw

general in its import and does not state that the exception was only for those living on the

outskirts. Secmldjw, Urhklq penmpr dmeq lmr qnecfw rhe gelepaj knmpr mf rhe umpdq mf

the Prophet26 especially since the report of Iyq ald Wahb b. Kaysl cjeapjw ldcare

that Ibn al-Zubayr did not conduct the Jumuah qeptce ml al d daw ald Ibl Abbq

referred to that as the Sunnah thereby refuting any doubts that Ibn al-Zubayr acted

23al-all, Msammad b. Ismj aj-Amp. Subul al-Salk aj-Milah Il Bulgh aj-Mark, 5th Edition, Muammad ub aj-allo

(ed.). Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1425, vol. 3, p. 144

24Ibn anbal, Amad. Musnad al-Imk Amad b. anbal, edq. Shsawb aj-Aplaald dj Mspqhd, 50 tmjq. Bepsr: Msaqqar aj-

Risjah, 1416/1995, vol. 32, pp. 68ff. It contains an extensive takhrj of the relevant adth.

25al-Bayhaq, Ab Bakr Amad b. Al-usayn b. Al al-Bayhaq. Marifat al-Sunan wa al-thr, Dr. Abd al-MuAmnQalaj, 15

vols. Cairo/alab: Dr al-Way , 1412/1991, vol. 5, p. 116, no. 7023.26

al-Shawkl, Msakkad b. Aj. Nayl al-Awrmin Asrr Multaq aj-Akhbr, Muammad ub aj-allo (ed.), 16 vols. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1427, vol. 6, p. 427.


12/21

12


according to his own ijtihd (personal juridical judgement). According to the principles of

Uj aj-Fiqh, when a Companion states that such and such is the Sunnah they are referring

to the Sunnah of the Prophet , unless there is evidence to indicate otherwise, in which

case the issue is raised to the Prophet and takes the status ofmarf. Such is the case

with Ibn al-Zsbawpq lcdelr. Fsprhepkmpe, rhe facr rhar Ukap is reported to have donethe same is a clear indication that it is not necessary to pray or for the Imm to lead

Jsksah ml rhe daw mf d mrhepuqe Ukap would have conducted the service and the

other Companions would not have remained silent if he had done something contrary

to the Sunnah.


13/21

13


Implications of the Strongest ViewAlthough we have reached a conclusion as to the strongest view of the three opinions,

there are still a number of issues which need to be addressed in relation to some

differences of opinion that have occurred two of which we shall presently discuss: firstly

whether one has to pray uhr if one decides not rm arreld rhe Jsksah qeptce ald

secondly whether the Imk q eveknred fpmk rhe gelepaj cmlceqqml mf kqqlg rhe

Jumuah.

To Pray or not to Pray?The fpqr qqse pejareq rm uherhep mle uhm chmmqeq lmr rm npaw rhe Jsksah npawep q

required to pray uhr prayer or not. The difference of opinion revolves around the issue of

which prayer is the al (original or default) prayer on a Friday is ir rhe Jsksah npawep mp

uhr prayer?

Al-Shawkl fmp lqralce apgseq rhar mle q lmr peosped rm npaw alwrhlg slrj Ar not

even shp. He baqeq hq mnlml ml uhar he bejeteq rm be rhe annapelr keallg mf Aq

words regarding Ibn al-Zsbawpq acrmlq dsplg a Fpdaw ml uhch d aj-Fir occurred that

...he npawed rum slrq eapjw kmpllg urhmsr addlg alwrhlg rm rhek slrj he npawed

Ap.Dse rm rhq, A q mfrel cred l rhe bmmiq mf foh aq hmjdlg rhe mnlml rhar mle q

not required to pray alwrhlg slrj Ap npawep aq jmlg aq mle haq npawed rhe d npawep f r

happens to fall on a Friday. However, this is incorrect as al-all convincingly argues.

Fpqrjw, A states explicitly in another report that the day this happened they returned

for the Jumsah npawep ald rhar Ibl aj-Zsbawp ...dd lmr cmke msr rm sq qm ue npawed

ldtdsajjw. Ir q mbtmsq rhew ksqr hate npawed shp qlce Jsksah npawep callmr be

prayed individually.27 Secondly, there is no explicit mention of the claim that Ibn al-Zubayr

did not pray shp qlce A only mentions the fact that Ibn al-Zubayr did not come out to

them which does not necessitate that he did not pray uhr for he could have prayed uhr

inside his house.28

27Subul, vol. 3, p. 146.

28Ibid.


14/21

14


Al-Albl, contrary to al-Shawklargues that one is obliged to pray uhr if one chooses

lmr rm npaw Jsksah. The etdelce rm qsnnmpr rhq teu q fmsld rhe qrarekelr mf rhe

epsdre Cmknalml Ibl Maqd uhm qrared pegapdlg rhe Jsksah npawep ...uhmetep

misses the two units then let him pray fmsp.29Ibl Ukap ajqm qrared, If wms peach a slr mf

Jsksah rhel add almrhep rm r bsr f wms peach rhek uhje rhew ape qrrlg rhel npawfmsp. These reports support the view that the al prayer on Friday is the uhr prayer;

mrhepuqe rhepe umsjd be lm leed rm npaw fmsp slrq f mle had kqqed rhe Jsksah npawep

because if the al is dropped then thefar (substitute in this case) is dropped as well.

Another evidence to support the view is the fact that travellers are obligated to pray uhr

uhel rpatejjlg ml rhe daw mf Jsksah. Thsq f rhe alml Fpdaw uaq rhe Jsksah npawep

rhel rhew umsjd hate npawed Jsksah mp lmrhlg ar ajj.Fsprhepkmpe, l pejarml rm As

statement that Ibn al-Zubayr did not come osr fmp Jsksah ml Fpdaw slrj rhe Ar prayer,

we have already seen that it does not explicitly state Ibn al-Zubayr did not pray uhr

instead.

Accordingly, since there is no definitive evidence to indicate he did not pray uhr it is not

permissible to use ambiguous evidence to nullify something which is established by

definitive and unambiguous evidence i.e. the fact that uhr must be prayed.

The Imk Excused or Not?Another issue which arises out of the third opinion is whether or not the Imk q lcjsded

within the concession of not having to pray the d prayer. One group of scholars,

especially the anbalq, apgse rhar rhe Ikk ald aq kalw nemnje leeded rm fsjfj a Jsksah

must hold the service although everyone else is excused. The evidence used to support this

position as stated by Ibn Qudkah is firstly due to the Prophet qrarlg rhar, ...ue ujj

be npawlg Jsksah30 which indicates that the Prophet and some of his noble

Cmknalmlq leteprhejeqq qrjj hejd rhe Jsksah qeptce. Secmldjw, r q apgsed that there

will be some people inevitably who will want to or even need to arreld rhe Jsksah qeptce

29al-Albl, Msammad Nir al-Dl.Irw aj-Ghalj f Taihr Adth Malr aj-Sabj, 2nd Edition, 9 vols. Beirut: al-Maktab al-

Islk, 1405/1985, tmj. 3, nn. 81ff ald nn. 83ff fmp Ibl Ukapq penmpr.

30Ibn Qudkah, al-Mughn, vol. 3, p. 243.


15/21

15


for whatever reason thus the Imk ksqr be atajabje rm hmjd a qeptce fmp rhek. Some of

rheqe nemnje kaw hate kqqed rhe d npawep fmp uharetep peaqml ald will feel obliged to

arreld rhe Jsksah qeptce ar jeaqr.

Another group of scholars argue that the concession of the Prophet applies to the

Imk aq uejj even though the Prophet himself conducted the service and did not miss it.

The evidence used to suppopr rhq nmlr mf teu lcjsdeq rhe penmprq mf A and Wahb b.

Kaysl pegapdlg rhe acrmlq mf Ibl aj-Zubayr. They argue the fact that Ibn al-Zubayr did

lmr hmjd rhe Jsksah qeptce deqnre belg rhe Akp cmsnjed urh rhe acilmujedgekelr mf

Ibn Abbq rhat his actions were in congruence with the Sunnah and tripled with the fact

that Umar b. Al-Khab did the same thing provides incontrovertible evidence that the

concession also applies to the Imk thus the import of the adrh mf rhe Ppmnher isgeneral. Thus the scholars say:

Op l Elgjqh: Ir q mbjgarmpw rm acr bw rhe generality until/unless evidence is found

ldcarlg qnecfcrw.

Furthermore, it is inconceivable the Companions would have remained silent if Ibn al-

Zsbawp ald Ukap befmpe hk had acred cmlrpapw rm rhe Ssllah l rhq pegapd. The facr

that no criticism exists of Ibn al-Zsbawpq acrmlq cjeapjw ldcareq rhepe uaq al agpeekelr

amongst the Companions that it was in accordance with the Sunnah. With regards to the

Prophet qrarlg, We ujj nepfmpk Jsksah, aj-Shawkl apgseq this report alone is

insufficient to deduce the conclusion that it is obligatory for the Imk rm hmjd rhe

service.31

Additionally, the fact that some people will want to attend rhe Jsksah qeptce dmeq lmr

necessitate the Imk belg mbjgared rm hmjd rhe qeptce. Firstly because of the actions of

Ibn al-Zubayr which proves otherwise and secondly because if one was to argue that some

nemnje kaw be mbjged rm arreld rhe Jsksah qeptce becasqe rhew fajed rm arreld rhe d31Nayl, vol. 6, p. 426.


16/21

16


prayer thus the Imk ksqr accmkkmdare fmp rhmqe nemnje, r cal be apgsed baci rhar f

the Imk chmmqeq lmr rm hmjd rhe Jsksah qeptce rhel rhe mbjgarml mf Jsksah dpmnq

from the person and instead he must pray uhr because he is not allmued rm npaw Jsksah

on his own and the scholars say:

Op l Elgjqh: Thepe q lm mbjgarml urh lcanabjrw.

Al-Shawkn ajqm addq a fsprhep apgskelr rhar fit was obligatory on some then it would

become a communal obligation (far kifyah) which contradicts the meaning of concessions

(rukhah)32.

Accordingly, the strongest view appears to be that the Imm is included in the general

concession the Prophet gave to his Ummah and thus is not obligated to hold the

Juksah qeptce f d hannelq rm fajj ml a Fpdaw. I umsjd add hmuetep rhar r q nephanq

better for the Imk rm hmjd rhe Jsksah simply because of the fact that the Prophet

held the service despite the concession.

32Ibid, p. 427.


17/21

17


Wisdom behind the ConcessionAs with any acts of worship Allh has legislated upon His slaves there is always a Divine

wisdom behind it that includes concessions. The scholars who adopt the view that one

uhm haq arrelded rhe d npawep q lmr mbjgared rm arreld rhe qsbqeoselr Jsksah npawep

mention a number of wisdoms behind this concession. Firstly, the fact that the Prophet

qrared mle q evcsqed fpmk arreldlg rhe Jsksah qeptce is wisdom in and of itself.

Secondly, they state that concessions themselves are there to facilitate ease for us as Allh

says:

Allh ualrq eaqe fmp wms, lmr hapdqhn. [2: 185]

Thpdjw, rhe d q a daw mf celebration, joy and relaxation and this purpose would bedefeated if one is required to attend two similar services throughout the day which would

crowd the day with congregational acts of worship. This leads to the fourth point which is

rhar rhe d qeptce cmlralq rhe qake ejekelrq mf rhe Jsksah qeptce rhsq mle qsffceq rhe

other. One of the objectives is the congregation of all people in one place. This is achieved

l rhe d npawep. Thus, Ibn Taymiyyah states:

Op l Elgjqh: Whel rum acrq mf umpqhn mf rhe qake ild cmke rmgerhep; mle mf rhek

enterq rhe mrhep33

33Ibn Taymiyyah, Taq aj-Dl Amad al-arrl. Majmat al-Fatw, 3rdEdrml, edq. kp aj-Jazzp and Anwar al-Bx, 37 vols.

Al-Manpah: Dp aj-Waf, 1426/2005, tmj. 24, n. 114.


18/21

18


ConclusionTm qskkapqe, l rhq eqqaw I dqcsqqed rhe qqse mf d mccspplg ml a Fpdaw ald rhe foh

rulings arising therefrom. I examined the differing views which I found to be of three

groups and I presented their evidences. I then discussed and evaluated these evidences and

demonstrated their strengths and limitations. It was shown that the strongest opinion was

the third one which asserts rhar rhe mle uhm q sqsajjw mbjgared rm arreld Jsksah npawep

q eveknred fpmk arreldlg rhe Jsksahqeptce f d hannelq rm fajj ml a Fpdaw and the

person has attended the d service, hmuetep f rhe nepqml chmmqeq rm kqq rhe Jsksah

prayer then he must pray uhr instead because of the fact that uhr is the al prayer on a

Friday. I came to the conclusion that this is the strongest view due to the authenticity of

the explicit reports which state the Prophet gave such a concession and Companions suchas Ibn al-Zsbawp uhm uaq krarlg Ukap b. Aj-Khaab would take up the concession

for themselves despite being the leaders of the their people thereby demonstrating that

the exception applies absolutely to all levels of people whether local or not; layman or

Imk.


19/21

19


Bibliographyal-bd, Ab aj-ayyib Shams al-aq al-Ak.Awn al-Mabd Shar Sunan Ab Dwd, Ik aj-Dl aj-

abb (ed.), 8 vols. Cairo: Dp aj-adrh, 1422/2001.Ab Shd, Ibrhk aj-do.Al-Ikhtiyrt aj-Fiqhiyyah li al-Shaykh al-Albl. Cairo/al-Manpah: Dp aj-Ghad

al-Jadd, 1427/2006.

Ab Dud, Ssjawk b. Aj-Aqharh aj-Sijistl. Sunan Ab Dwd, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b. aqal j Sajkl

(ed.). al-Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.].

al-Albl, Msammad Nir al-Dl.Al-Ajwibah al-Nfah al Asjat Lalat Masd aj-Jkah, New Revised

Edition. Al-Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, 1420/2000.

al-Albl, Msammad Nir al-Dl.Irw aj-Ghalj f Taihr Adth Malr aj-Sabj, 2nd Edition, 9 vols. Beirut:

al-Maktab al-Islk, 1405/1985.al-Awl, Badp aj-Dl Ab Msammad Mamd b. Amad. Umdat al-Qr Shara al-Bukhr, Abd Ajjh

Mamd Msakkad Ukap (ed.), 25 tmjq. Beirut: Dp aj-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1421/2001.

al-Bassk, Abd Allh b.Abd aj-Raml. Taw al-Akk Ml Bujgh aj-Mark, 7 vols. Makkah: Dp aj-

Asad, 1423/2003.al-Bayhaq, Ab Bakr Amad b. Al-usayn b. Al al-Bayhaq. Marifat al-Sunan wa al-thr, Dr. Abd al-Mu

AmnQalaj, 15 vols. Cairo/alab: Dr al-Way , 1412/1991.al-Bayhaq, Ab Bakr Amad b. Al-usayn b. Al al-Bayhaq.Al-Sunan al-Kubr, Muammad Abd al-Qdir

A, 11 vols. Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1424/2003.

al-Bukhr, Muammad b. Isml.a al-Bukhr. Riy: Dr al-Salm, 1419/1999.

al-Fawzl, Abd Ajjh b. j. Minat al-Ajjk f Shar Bulgh aj-Mark, 9 vols. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-

Jawz, 1428.

al-ik, Ab Abd Allh aj-Naysbp.Al-Mustadrai aj aj-aayn, Ab Abd al-Raml Msobj b. Hd

al-Wd, 5 vols. Cairo: Dp aj-aramayn, 1417/1997.Ibn Anas, Mlik.Al-Muwaa, Salk b. d al-Hilj (ed.), 5 tmjq. Dsba: Mairabar aj-Furql, 1424/2003.

Ibn ajar, Akad b. Aj aj-Asqall. Bulgh aj-Mark Ml Adillat al-Akk, 7th Edition, Samp b. Akl aj-

Zuhayr (ed.). Aj-Riy: Dp aj-Falaq, 1424/2003.


20/21

20


Ibn anbal, Amad. Musnad al-Imk Amad b. anbal, edq. Shsawb aj-Aplaald dj Mspqhd, 50 tmjq.

Bepsr: Msaqqar aj-Risjah, 1416/1995.

Ibn azm, Ab Msakkad Aj b. Akad b. Sad.Al-Muall Shar al-Mujall, Amad Muammad Ship

(ed.), 2nd Edition, 8 vols. Beirut: Dp Iy al-Turrh aj-Arab, 1422/2001.

Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad b. Iso. a Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad Mutaf aj-Azam(ed.), 4 vols.Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islk, 1400/1980.

Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad b. Iso. a Ibn Khuzaymah, Muammad Mutaf aj-Azam. Riy:

Maktabah al-Aam, 1430/2009.

Ibn Mah, Ab Abd Allh Muammad b. Yazd al-Qazwl. Sunan Ibn Mah, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b.

aqal j Sajkl (ed.). al-Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.].

Ibn Qudkah, aj-Muwaffaq al-Dl Ab Msakkad Abd Ajjh b. Amad al-Maqdis.Al-Mughn, 5th Edition,

eds. Abd Allh b.Abd aj-Musin al-Turk ald Abd al-Fatt Muammad al-alw, 15 vols. Riy: Dp lam

al-Kutub, 1419/1999.Ibn Rushd, Muammad b. Amad. Bidyat aj-Mujtahid wa Nihyat aj-Muqtaid, ed. Muammad ubal-

allo, 4 tmjq. Riy: Dp aj-Mughn, 1432/2011.

Ibn Taymiyyah, Majd al-Dl Ab aj-Barakr Abd al-Salk b.Abd Ajjh b. Ab aj-Qqk aj-arrl.Al-

Muntaq f aj-Akk aj-Shariyyah min Kalk Khayr aj-Bariyyah, po b.Au Allh b. Muammad. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1429.Ibn Taymiyyah, Taq aj-Dl Amad al-arrl. Majmat al-Fatw, 3rdEdrml, edq. kp aj-Jazzp and

Anwar al-Bx, 37 vols. Al-Manpah: Dp aj-Waf, 1426/2005.al-Naq, Ab Abd aj-Raml Akad b. Shsawb b. Aj. Sunan al-Nas, AbUbawdah Maqhhp b. aqal j

Salml (ed.). al-Riy: Maktabat al-Mapf, [n.d.].al-Nawaw, Ab Zaiapww Ms aj-Dl b. Shapaf. Kitb aj-Majm Shar Muhadhdhab li al-Shrz,

Muammad Najb aj-Mu, 11 vols. Jeddah: Maktabat al-Irshd, [n.d.].

al-aln, Ab Baip Abd al-Razzo b. Hammk.Al-Muannaf, abb aj-Raml aj-Aam(ed.), 12 vols.

Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islk, 1390/1970.

al-all, Msammad b. Ismj aj-Amp. Subul al-Salk aj-Milah Il Bulgh aj-Mark, 5th Edition,

Muammad ub aj-allo (ed.), 4 vols. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1425.


21/21

21

al-Shf, Msammad b. Idrq.Al-Umm, 2nd Edition, Dr. Rifat Fawz Abd al-Mualib (ed.), 11 vols. al-

Manpah: Dp aj-Waf, 1425/2004.

al-Shawkl, Msakkad b. Aj. Nayl al-Awrmin Asrr Multaq aj-Akhbr, Muammad ub aj-allo

(ed.), 16 vols. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1427.

al-Urhawkl, Msammad b. j.Al-Shar al-Mukt aj Zd aj-Mustaqni, 15 vols. Al-Dammk: Dp Ibl aj-Jawz, 1422AH.

Yamkah, Abd al-Sanad asan. Mawsat Shur al-Muwaa, Abd Ajjh b. Abd aj-Musin al-Turk (ed.),

25 vols. Cairo: 1426/2005.

When Eid Falls on a Friday

Documents