The Coincidence of the Festival and Friday: Is the Midday Prayer Dropped?

The questioner : We ask the Shaykh: If the day of the festival coincides with Friday, is the Friday prayer dropped? The Shaykh said, "Yes, and the midday prayer is also dropped." Now, let us hear the Shaykh's answer. Some of the brothers are saying, "What? We do not know that the Friday prayer is dropped; there is no evidence, or is it the midday prayer? I am sorry." Yes, we want to hear from you. Who is it? By Allah, I am Abu Anas and the father of the brother Ra'id. Please, if you would. Yes, that is right. A moment ago they were saying it is not dropped, and now they are saying we do not know. Is there a difference or not, our Shaykh? We really do not know. No, no, no, no. Do you see why? You just said, "It is not dropped," in our name. Now you are saying, "We do not know," in our name. No, it is not dropped, just. All right. Some of you are saying it is not dropped. Now, the question is so that we can see and hear a question from the Shaykh. I am not saying it. Is there anyone among you who says it? Take it back. I advise you, our Shaykh, to be correct. If we hear the answer from you.

The Shaykh : In any case, the issue is well known. It is established in the Shari'ah that two obligatory prayers, Friday and midday, do not coincide on the same day. Since it is established by an authentic hadith that if the day of the festival coincides with Friday, and the one who prays performs the festival prayer, the Friday prayer is waived from him, now if someone says, "What about the midday prayer?" this is a new ruling that requires evidence, because on that day there is only the festival or Friday; there is no obligatory midday prayer. So the one who wants to say, "Since the Friday prayer is waived by the festival prayer, he must pray Friday," this first requires specific evidence, because it is a new legislation, a new legislation for every Friday on which there is only the Friday prayer. Nevertheless, we have a backup evidence, which is the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr that in his time the festival and Friday coincided, so he prayed the festival and then did not pray anything until the afternoon prayer, meaning neither Friday nor midday. And this is what the Muslim should adopt.