Is it permissible for a traveler to lead the residents in the Friday prayer?
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The questioner : A traveler stayed in a village and spent the night there, and this day was Friday. The people of the village presented him to lead them in prayer, and he led them in the Friday prayer. Is it permissible for a traveler to lead the residents?
The Shaykh : The questioner wants to know if it is permissible for a traveler to lead the people in the Friday prayer.
The answer to this issue is that the scholars differed on it: some say that a traveler cannot validly lead the Friday prayer, because he is not among those for whom it is obligatory, since the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon a traveler.
And some said: It is valid for a traveler to lead the Friday prayer and deliver the sermon, and this is the correct opinion. Based on this, we say to this questioner: there is nothing wrong with you leading the Friday prayer while you are a traveler.
On this occasion, I say that if one is in a town as a traveler and the Friday prayer is established, it is obligatory upon him to pray the Friday prayer with the people, and it is not permissible for him to be absent from the Friday prayer on the pretext that he is a traveler. This is due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Jumu'ah 62:9] The traveler is included in this address because he is among those who believe. If he is among those who believe, he has been commanded to hasten to the remembrance of Allah when the call for Friday is made.
The same applies to the congregational prayer. If a traveler stays in a town and the call to prayer is made, and he hears the call, it is obligatory upon him to respond to the call and pray with the congregation, because the congregational prayer is not dropped for a traveler. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):[An-Nisa 4:102] to the end of the verse. He commanded the congregational prayer in a state of fear, and that was during travel, so in a state of safety it is even more so.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:352 This is general for the traveler and the non-traveler.
As for what is widespread among the common people that a traveler has no Friday prayer and no congregational prayer, this is not correct. Rather, the traveler is like the resident in the obligation of the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, with no difference.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The questioner wants to know if it is permissible for a traveler to lead the people in the Friday prayer.
The answer to this issue is that the scholars differed on it: some say that a traveler cannot validly lead the Friday prayer, because he is not among those for whom it is obligatory, since the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon a traveler.
And some said: It is valid for a traveler to lead the Friday prayer and deliver the sermon, and this is the correct opinion. Based on this, we say to this questioner: there is nothing wrong with you leading the Friday prayer while you are a traveler.
On this occasion, I say that if one is in a town as a traveler and the Friday prayer is established, it is obligatory upon him to pray the Friday prayer with the people, and it is not permissible for him to be absent from the Friday prayer on the pretext that he is a traveler. This is due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَThe same applies to the congregational prayer. If a traveler stays in a town and the call to prayer is made, and he hears the call, it is obligatory upon him to respond to the call and pray with the congregation, because the congregational prayer is not dropped for a traveler. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَAnd the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Whoever hears the call and does not respond, he has no prayer, except one who has an excuse.
من سمع النداء فلم يجب فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرAs for what is widespread among the common people that a traveler has no Friday prayer and no congregational prayer, this is not correct. Rather, the traveler is like the resident in the obligation of the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer, with no difference.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.