What is the ruling on having multiple congregations in one neighborhood, and what is the ruling on praying the Friday prayer as the midday prayer due to the absence of an imam?
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The questioner : If multiple Friday congregations are established without a pressing need, is that valid? In our area, there are many congregations, and sometimes they pray the midday prayer because there is no imam for the mosque.
The Shaykh : Among the wisdom of the Lawgiver—indeed, among the wisdom of Allah the Exalted—is that He established multiple gatherings for His servants. These include the neighborhood gathering for the five daily prayers in a single mosque, the gathering of all the people of the town in a single mosque on Friday, and the gathering of all Muslims for the rites of Hajj. Friday is a general gathering for all the people of the town, which is why it is distinguished by rulings that do not exist in the midday prayer. It is not permissible for the people of the town to establish multiple Friday congregations unless there is a pressing need, such as the different parts of the town being far apart, making it difficult for them to go to a single mosque, or the mosque being too narrow to accommodate the worshippers, in which case they may establish another mosque where Friday prayer is performed. It is obligatory for the authorities to look into this matter in your town and to abolish the new congregations that are not needed. Otherwise, some scholars say that if they pray Friday without a need, the prayer is not valid because it is obligatory for the people to gather in a single mosque. In any case, it is obligatory for you now to contact the authorities so that they look into this matter and do what is required of them to unify the Friday prayer as much as they are able.
The Shaykh : Among the wisdom of the Lawgiver—indeed, among the wisdom of Allah the Exalted—is that He established multiple gatherings for His servants. These include the neighborhood gathering for the five daily prayers in a single mosque, the gathering of all the people of the town in a single mosque on Friday, and the gathering of all Muslims for the rites of Hajj. Friday is a general gathering for all the people of the town, which is why it is distinguished by rulings that do not exist in the midday prayer. It is not permissible for the people of the town to establish multiple Friday congregations unless there is a pressing need, such as the different parts of the town being far apart, making it difficult for them to go to a single mosque, or the mosque being too narrow to accommodate the worshippers, in which case they may establish another mosque where Friday prayer is performed. It is obligatory for the authorities to look into this matter in your town and to abolish the new congregations that are not needed. Otherwise, some scholars say that if they pray Friday without a need, the prayer is not valid because it is obligatory for the people to gather in a single mosque. In any case, it is obligatory for you now to contact the authorities so that they look into this matter and do what is required of them to unify the Friday prayer as much as they are able.