Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Date Added : 28-11-2016

Resolution No.(227) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies.

"The Ruling on Praying Jumu`ah in more than one Mosque in the Same Town"

Date: (23/Shawal/1437 AH), corresponding to (28/7/2016 AD).

 

All perfect praise be to the Lord of the Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the question sent from the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, and it reads as follows:

What is the ruling on praying Jumu`ah in more than one mosque in the same town?

After deliberations, the Board decided the following:

Jumu`ah was called as such because it brings people together in one place. Until recently, Jumu`ah was held in the big Jaami` mosque (i.e. the main or central mosque of a town, city or village). When Muslims became numerous and mosques could no longer accommodate them, praying Jumu`ah in more than one mosque has become a necessity. However, holding it in more mosques than what is actually needed is a matter of disagreement amongst the Muslim scholars. For example, the majority of the Shafii, Maliki and Hanabali scholars have considered holding  Jumu`ah in more than one mosque in the same town for no valid reason unlawful. Doing this is lawful if the Jaami mosque is too small to accommodate the number of the people who pray in it or the town has expanded to a level where it is difficult for all its residents to pray in one mosque.

Pointing out the conditions for the validity of the Jumu`ah prayer, Al-Khateeb Ash-Shirbini (May Allah have mercy on him) said: " ………..Third: It shouldn`t be preceded by another Jumu`ah nor coincide with one, unless the town was too expanded and it became difficult for its residents to pray in one mosque. In this case, it is lawful for them to pray Jumu`ah in more than one mosque as much as actually needed." {Moghni Al-Mohtajj}.

Sheikh Miarah, a Maliki scholar, stated: "The apparent view of the Maliki scholars is that they unanimously agree that it is unlawful to pray Jumu`ah in two mosques in a small town. Their disagreement pertains to the big town……their  famous opinion is that it is unlawful. However, people, in my time, consider it lawful because it is difficult for the residents of a big town to pray in one mosque." {Ad-Dur Al-Thameen, pp.363}.

Al-Imam Al-Mardawi (May Allah have mercy on him), a Hanbali scholar, stated: "It is unlawful to hold Friday or Jumu`a prayer in two mosques if there is no necessity for doing so, and this is the approved opinion of our Madhab (school of thought) as well as our fellow scholars. In a narration after Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal: It is generally lawful, but this opinion is his (Ahmad`s). Al-Qadhi adopted the opinion of Imam Ahmad if there was a need to hold Friday prayer in more than one mosque. Need here means: the mosque is small, far or sedition is likely." {Al-Insaf, vol.2/pp.400}.

Moreover, the Hanafi scholars have two opinions in this regard. Their approved opinion is that it is lawful to hold Friday prayer in two mosques or more, even if there was no necessity, as is the opinion of Al-Imam Abo Hanifah and Mohammad Al-Hasan (May Allah have mercy on both of them).

Al-Imam Al-Sarkhasi (May Allah have mercy on him) stated: "Narrations have differed as regards holding the Friday prayer in two mosques in the same town. The more correct opinion of Abo Hanifah and Mohammad Bin Al-Hasan (May Allah have mercy on them both) is that it is lawful. However, there are two narrations after Abo Yousef: one says it is lawful and the other says it is not." {Al-Mabsoot, vol.2/pp.121}.

Ibn Abdeen stated: "It is lawful to hold the Friday prayer in many mosques according to the Hanafi school of thought, and its approved opinion…so as to ward off harm (sedition, the mosque is far or small) because obligating people to pray the Friday prayer in one mosque means forcing most of them to come from far places, and there is no Sharia-approved evidence that holding Friday prayer in more than one mosque is unlawful." {Ad-Dur al-Mokhtar ala Radd al-Mohtar}.

In conclusion, if it is possible for all the people of the same town to pray in one mosque safely, then this is more prudent because it goes in line with the spirit and the purposes of Sharia as far as uniting Muslims is concerned.

However, if that isn`t possible because the mosque is small or far or the town is too expanded or it was hard for people to come to that mosque, then praying Jumu`ah or Friday prayer in more than one mosque is lawful so long as it is done according to the actual need.

All in all, praying Jumu`ah in different mosques is valid and avails the praying person. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of Ifta` Board, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Vice Chairman of Ifta` Board, Prof. Ahmad Hilayel

Dr. Wa`el Arabiat, Member

Dr. Yahia Botoosh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eed Hijjawi/ Member

Prof. Abdulnaser AbulBasal/ Member

Pro. Abdullah Fawaz/ Member

Judge Khaled Al-Woraikat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khai Al-Esa/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Youis Al-Zou`bi

Dr. Mohammad Khai Al-Esa/ Member

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for me to eat from the animal that I slaughtered for Allah to protect my family?

It is permissible to eat from the non-vowed animal sacrifice, and the person is rewarded based on the amount of meat that he had given to the poor. However, there is no evidence in Islamic Sharia indicating that slaughtering an animal protects one`s family, but it is a way for thanking Allah, The Almighty, for his grace.

I can`t afford to get married, what should I do to curb my sexual drives?

You should offer a lot of voluntary fasting, keep busy with useful and permissible acts and make supplication to Allah, The Exalted.

What is the ruling on the cessation of blood after (40) days from delivery, but later continued sporadically during two days of Ramadan?

Once postpartum bleeding (Nifas) ceases, and the woman is certain that it won`t reoccur, then she becomes ritually pure and so she is free to make Ghusl (purificatory bath), pray, and fast. If the bleeding reoccurs before fifteen days from its cessation, and before the end of (60) days after delivery, then the ruling on postpartum bleeding is effective, and her fasting and prayer are null and void, thus she must make up the fasting that she missed and not the prayer during those particular days.

I had my menstrual period at the beginning of Ramadan for six days, then it ended and I became pure. After four days, I started noticing some blood again, which has lasted for two days now, but it is not as heavy as menstrual blood. Is this blood considered menstrual blood, and what is the ruling regarding my prayers, fasting, and reading the Quran during this period?
 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad.
The minimum duration of menstruation is one day and one night, and its maximum is fifteen days. Any blood beyond this period is considered irregular bleeding (Istihada). Since the bleeding did not exceed fifteen days, it is considered menstrual blood within the regular cycle. Therefore, you should not pray or fast until the bleeding stops and the signs of purity appear. If the bleeding stops before fifteen days from when it first started, then all the blood you saw is considered menstrual blood, and you must make up the fasts, but not the prayers. If it exceeds fifteen days, then the first six days are menstrual blood, and the blood that follows is considered irregular bleeding. Your prayers and fasting are valid, and there is no issue with them. And Allah Knows Best."
 
*This answer was updated on [18/5/2023].