The ruling on the Friday prayer for one who is on a trip or outing

Question : Salim says: What is the ruling on the Friday prayer for families or others who go out to camps outside the city on the weekend? Is it permissible for them to pray it as Zuhr or as Jumu'ah in their location, or should they enter the city to perform it?

Answer : As for those who go out for a leisure trip on Friday, in my opinion they have erred. Why? Because they have another day, other than Friday, which is Saturday, on which they can go out for a leisure trip and pray Friday with the Muslims. For Friday, my brothers, is not like the other prayers. Friday is that from which Allah led astray the Jews and the Christians and reserved it for this Ummah. And Friday is an expiation for the sins committed between the two Fridays, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. And what indicates the Shari'ah's care for it, meaning the Friday prayer, is that it made the ritual bath obligatory for it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it obligatory for his Ummah to take a ritual bath for Friday, and he said (peace and blessings be upon him) . And what also indicates the Shari'ah's care for it is that it is recommended for a person to wear his best clothes, to apply perfume, to use the miswak, and to go out to the mosque early. And that 'Asr is not combined with it, because it is an independent prayer. And that a sermon must precede it, among other characteristics of Friday about which Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) spoke in Zad al-Ma'ad regarding many of them. So I say to these people that although they are not committing a sin, they have deprived themselves of much good. As for sin, they do not sin unless they intend by going out on this day to be absent from Friday, and I do not think anyone intends that. But they are negligent. They are not required to attend the mosques unless they are close to the town, in which case they are required to attend. But if they are far away, they are not required to attend. They should not combine, meaning it is not valid for them to pray Jumu'ah in their leisure location. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to travel and not pray Jumu'ah. In fact, on the Day of 'Arafah, which is the greatest gathering, it happened to fall on a Friday, and yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not pray Jumu'ah on the Day of 'Arafah. He prayed Zuhr and 'Asr combined. And the summary of the answer now is that we should say: It is recommended for these people to choose Thursday for their outing. If they go out on Friday, if they are close to the town, they are required to attend the town and pray with the Muslims. And if they are far away, they are not required to, but they pray Zuhr and do not pray Jumu'ah.