Question
We have an office where around 1000 people work. We have a system of offering the Zuhr and Asr prayers by laying down prayer mats (saff) in the hall and lobby, these saffs are later folded and normal people traffic goes on in this hall and lobby. We also hold Jumma gongregation on Friday in the same manner. It has been suggested that Jumma prayers cannot be offered unless there is a regular mosque and five daily prayers are offered regularly in the said mosque. Kindly provide the correct legal and Shariah position on this matter.
Answer
Friday congregation is originally led and organized by the rulers and their representatives. In absence of the rulers fulfilling this duty the Muslims have decided to manage the affair themselves to keep the sunnah alive. Since, it is offered by the people in the mosques as a make up system and not in the original form I do not see any difference in offering the Friday prayer in a local mosque and in the place of worship where you people offer regularly two daily prayers. This I say beasue the condition you have mentioned is not the only condition for the Friday Congregation to be obligatory. As I mentioned above the presence of rulers or their representatives is one major condition. If it is ignored then it would not be wise to insist on a minor secondary condition.
Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Date: 2015-03-08
