The number of people required to hold the Friday prayer

Question:
A student at the Islamic University asks about the preferred opinion regarding the number of people required to hold the Friday prayer?

Answer:
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on this issue with many opinions. The most famous is that the number required to hold the Friday prayer is forty men. This is the opinion of the Imams Malik and al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on them both) and a group of scholars, and it is the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). They argued for this based on what was narrated that the first Friday prayer held in Madinah was with this number. It was also said that it is held with twelve men, which is the opinion of Rabi'ah ibn Abi Abd al-Rahman, the teacher of Imam Malik ibn Anas (may Allah have mercy on them both). It was also said that it is held with four, which is the school of Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him). It was also said that it is held with three, and this is the opinion of Imam al-Awza'i, the imam of the people of Sham in his era (may Allah have mercy on him), and it is a report from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned by a group of his companions, including al-Muqaffi in al-Muqni' and the author of al-Furu' and others. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) chose this opinion. It was also said that it is held with two, and there are other opinions in this issue besides what we have mentioned, which were mentioned by Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm and others.
The most authentic opinion in this issue is the one that says it is held with three, for several reasons:
One of them is that the original ruling is the obligation of holding the Friday prayer for the people of villages and cities, so it is not permissible for them to leave it except with an excuse, and there is no excuse for leaving it for those who have reached this number.
Another is that three is the minimum number for a group in the Arabic language, and applying the term "group" to two is contrary to the most common and well-known usage in the language, so interpreting the Shari'ah evidence according to what is most common is more appropriate and safer in religion.
Another is that the remaining opinions have no clear evidence that necessitates adopting them and relying on them, so it is obligatory to turn away from them and adopt the opinion that gathers the evidence, clears the conscience, and achieves caution for the seeker of truth. If the number above three were a condition for holding the Friday prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have pointed to it and guided the Ummah to it. Since none of that was found, it indicates that it is not a condition for holding it. As for three, there is no need to point to the obligation of holding it for them, because they are the minimum group, and the text and scholarly consensus have indicated that it is not held except in a group, and three is the minimum group as mentioned above.