Is it permissible to hold the Friday prayer outside the mosque, and is a specific number of people required for it?

Question:
I move on to one of the letters that came to the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb*. The sender says: We have a mosque built of straw, and a heavy rain fell on Friday. When we went out to pray, we found no place except outside the mosque. The imam came, delivered the sermon, and led the prayer. Is this act valid? Because some people say this Friday prayer is invalid, and some invalidate the Friday prayer if the number of people does not reach twelve. Please inform us, may Allah reward you?

Answer:
The Friday prayer in this form is valid, if Allah wills. It is permissible to hold the Friday prayer outside the mosque. For this reason, the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) say that it is valid in the desert area near the buildings. So if the worshippers prayed the Friday prayer outside the mosque, their prayer is valid. It is not required that it be held in the mosque, especially if the mosque, as the questioner mentioned, was affected by the rain and became unsuitable for holding the prayer in it. There is no harm in praying it outside the mosque in a place where they feel safe for themselves. As for the number, the correct view is that a specific number is not required for the Friday prayer. It is valid even if the number is small, provided that the conditions for holding the Friday prayer are met. Yes.