Performing the Friday prayer in two batches due to the narrowness of the mosque
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Fatwa No. ( 2369 )
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, his family, and his Companions. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the inquiry submitted by His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League to His Eminence the President General, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number 238/3 and date 1/2/1399 AH. The text of the inquiry is as follows: I received a letter from His Excellency Dr. 'Abd al-'Alim Khaldun al-Kinani , Director of the League's office in Paris , stating that the number of mosques where the Friday prayer is performed in Paris and other cities is small, and they are too narrow to accommodate the large number of worshippers. To resolve this crisis, which prevents many worshippers from performing the obligatory Friday prayer in France , one of them proposed that the Friday prayer be performed in a single mosque in two batches, each batch with its own independent imam and preacher (i.e., the Friday prayer is performed in its proper time for the first batch, and after the sermon and prayer are concluded, a new imam comes, preaches, and leads the Friday prayer for the worshippers who agreed to wait and pray with the second batch). The inquiry seeks the ruling of the Shari'ah on this necessary solution. I ask you to kindly issue a legal ruling on this matter so that we may respond to His Excellency accordingly.
The Committee responded as follows: Establishing two Friday prayers in one mosque is not permissible in the Shari'ah, and we know no basis for it in the religion of Allah. The principle is that one Friday prayer is established in one town, and multiple Friday prayers are not established except for a valid Shari'ah excuse; such as the distance being far for some of those upon whom it is obligatory, or the first mosque where it is performed being too narrow to accommodate all the worshippers, or something similar that serves as a valid justification for establishing a second Friday prayer. In that case, another Friday prayer is established in a place where its establishment achieves the purpose of its multiplication. Therefore, the brothers who asked should seek another place among those who come to the desired mosque and repeat the Friday prayer there, establishing another Friday prayer there, even if it is not a mosque, such as private residences, gardens, or public squares where the responsible authorities permit the performance of the Friday prayer. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, his family, and his Companions. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the inquiry submitted by His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League to His Eminence the President General, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number 238/3 and date 1/2/1399 AH. The text of the inquiry is as follows: I received a letter from His Excellency Dr. 'Abd al-'Alim Khaldun al-Kinani , Director of the League's office in Paris , stating that the number of mosques where the Friday prayer is performed in Paris and other cities is small, and they are too narrow to accommodate the large number of worshippers. To resolve this crisis, which prevents many worshippers from performing the obligatory Friday prayer in France , one of them proposed that the Friday prayer be performed in a single mosque in two batches, each batch with its own independent imam and preacher (i.e., the Friday prayer is performed in its proper time for the first batch, and after the sermon and prayer are concluded, a new imam comes, preaches, and leads the Friday prayer for the worshippers who agreed to wait and pray with the second batch). The inquiry seeks the ruling of the Shari'ah on this necessary solution. I ask you to kindly issue a legal ruling on this matter so that we may respond to His Excellency accordingly.
The Committee responded as follows: Establishing two Friday prayers in one mosque is not permissible in the Shari'ah, and we know no basis for it in the religion of Allah. The principle is that one Friday prayer is established in one town, and multiple Friday prayers are not established except for a valid Shari'ah excuse; such as the distance being far for some of those upon whom it is obligatory, or the first mosque where it is performed being too narrow to accommodate all the worshippers, or something similar that serves as a valid justification for establishing a second Friday prayer. In that case, another Friday prayer is established in a place where its establishment achieves the purpose of its multiplication. Therefore, the brothers who asked should seek another place among those who come to the desired mosque and repeat the Friday prayer there, establishing another Friday prayer there, even if it is not a mosque, such as private residences, gardens, or public squares where the responsible authorities permit the performance of the Friday prayer. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.