All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Jumu'ah (Friday prayer) has specific conditions for its validity, which include being performed in congregation at the time of Dhuhr, preceded by two sermons, held in a populated area, and with at least forty individuals upon whom Jumu'ah is obligatory. Ibn Al-Nuqib stated: "The conditions for the validity of Jumu'ah, in addition to the conditions of prayer, are six: it must be performed in congregation at the time of Dhuhr, after two sermons, in a populated area, with forty free, adult, sane, and settled men who do not leave the area except for a need." [Umdat As-Salik, pp.82].
Additionally, Jumu'ah should not be preceded by or concurrent with another Jumu'ah in the same town unless the town is so large that it is difficult for everyone to gather in one place for prayer; in such cases, holding multiple Jumu'ah prayers is permissible. Shaikh Al-Islam An-Nawawi (May Allah have mercy on his soul) said: "It should not be preceded by or concurrent with another Jumu'ah in its town unless it is large and it is difficult for them to gather in one place." [Minhaj Al-Talibin, Vol.1/P.47].
It is not a requirement for the Khutbah (Friday sermon) to be heard by all attendees. Jumu'ah is valid as long as the Khutbah is heard by forty individuals for whom Jumu'ah is obligatory. Imam Al-Shirbini, in explaining the conditions of the two Khutbahs, said: "It is required to raise the voice with its pillars so that it can be heard by the number necessary for Jumu'ah to be valid because the purpose of the Khutbah is to admonish them, which is only achieved through hearing it. Thus, it is required that it be heard." [Mughni Al-Muhtaj, Vol.1/P.553]. Therefore, the inability of those outside to hear the Khatib (Imam delivering the Friday sermon) is not a valid reason to hold a new Jumu'ah; it would have been sufficient for them to sit and wait for the prayer to be established.
If they did not know when the Iqamah (call to commence prayer) would occur and could not follow the Imam in the prayer, they would be required to perform the Dhuhr prayer instead, and there would be no Jumu'ah for them. This is because it is not permissible to hold two Jumu'ah prayers in the same place at the same time.
In conclusion, inability to hear the Khatib's voice during the sermon does not justify starting a new Jumu'ah prayer. If people perform a Jumu'ah prayer without a valid reason, the considered/valid Jumu'ah is the one with the officially appointed Imam. For those whose Jumu'ah prayer is not valid, they must pray it as Dhuhr. If they prayed it as two Rak'ahs, they must repeat it as Dhuhr. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
