Question: I work in a factory as an electrician on call. I work one day and take two days off. Sometimes the day I work is a Friday, and because of the circumstances of my work I cannot go and pray Jumuah. Am I doing anything wrong? What should I do? Please advise me.
Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The one who hears the call to prayer on Friday and is one of those for whom Jumuah is obligatory, has to respond to the call. Allaah says: "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on Friday Jumuah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah Oumuah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!" (Q62 [al- Jumuah]:9)
And it was narrated from Ibn Umar and Abu Hurayrah (RAA)that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallaam) said: "People should stop neglecting Jumuah prayers or else Allaah will place a seal over their hearts, then they will be among the negligent." (Muslim). Based on this, you should tell your boss that you are going to go to Jumuah prayer, and he should give you and other Muslims permission.
You can tell him that you will make up the time by doing extra work. And pray to Allaah to make it easy for you. "And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty)" (Q65 [al-Talaaq]:2)
Let Them Attend Jumuah
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (RAH) was asked about some workers whose bosses did not give them permission to attend Jumuah prayer on the grounds that they were guards on a farm. He replied: "If these workers are so far from the mosque that they would not be able to hear the adhaan without a loudspeaker, and they are outside the town, then they do not have to pray Jumuah. The workers may rest assured that there is no sin on them if they stay on the farm and pray dhuhr.
But we advise their employer to give them permission (to attend Jumuah) because that is better for him and better for them; it may also soften their hearts towards him which may make them more sincere in their work, unlike if he puts pressure on them. Many workers ask to go to Jumuah prayer so that they can meet their friends and acquaintances, hence you see them going to Jumuah and talking in the marketplace until the imam comes, then when the Imam comes they enter the mosque. The point of the above is that if they can hear the call to prayer, or they are inside the town, they should attend Jumuah; if they are outside the town and cannot hear the call to prayer, then they do not have to do anything". [Liqaal-baab il-Maftooh, 1/413]
And The Congregational Prayer Too
The Standing Committee was asked about a young man who works as a guard, and his employer does not allow him to pray in the mosque. He beats him if he prays in the mosque and threatens to send him back to his country. They replied: "The five daily prayers should be offered in the mosque in congregation, so you have to perform them in congregation in the mosque.
You have to be patient and seek reward in doing that, and Allaah will grant you ease after hardship. Allaah says: "And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things" (Q65[al-Talaaq]:2-3)
And you should note that there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator, so be with Allaah and Allaah will be with you. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. And Allaah knows best. [See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah, 7/302].
Essential Workers Are Exempted But if your leaving work to pray jumuah will adversely affect the factory, such as the risk of machines breaking down or fires breaking out etc, and there are other men in the factory with you, you can pray Jumuah in the factory, if the factory is inside the town, or it is outside and you can hear the adhaan without the aid of loudspeakers.
If the factory is outside the town and you cannot hear the adhaan without loudspeakers, or you fear that leaving work at the time of prayer will cause some problems at work, then this is an excuse for you not to pray Jumuah. In that case you should pray Dhuhr, in congregation if possible. The Standing Committee (8/188) was asked about some employees of the Telegraph and Telephone company whose work continues on Fridays at the time of the prayer; if they stop working then the wireless and telephone communications will cease. Is it permissible for them not to pray Jumuah? The Committee replied that Jumah prayer is an individual obligation because of the evidence in the Quraan and Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars.
Then they said: "But if there is a legitimate shari excuse for someone who is obliged to pray Jumuah, such as if he is directly responsible for work that has to do with the security of the Jummah and guarding its interests, which means that he has to take care of that during the time of Jumuah prayer - such as men who work in the security forces, traffic police, those who work in wireless and telecommunications, etc, who have to be on call at the time of the last call for Jumuah prayer or when the iqaamah is given for a congregational prayer - they and others like them are excused for not attending Jumuah or prayers in congregation. This is because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says: "So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can" (Q64[al- Taghaabun]:16); and the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallaam) said: "Whatever I forbid you, avoid, and whatever I tell you to do, do as much of it as you can." (Ahmad)
This excuse is not less than that of one who is excused from Jumuah and praying in congregation, as long as the excuse still stands, but that does not mean that he is excused from praying Dhuhr, rather he must pray Dhuhr on time, and if it is possible to pray in congregation he must do so, as with all of the five daily prayers. Doctors On Call The Committee was also asked (8/191) about a doctor who is on call in the clinic at the time of Jumuah prayer to treat the sick or wounded who may need emergency treatment.
Is it permissible for him not to pray Jumuah? They replied: "The doctor mentioned in the question is doing an important job that is of benefit to the Muslims; if he goes to Jumuah prayer that will result in great danger. So there is no sin on him if he does not go to Jumuah prayer, but he has to offer Dhuhr prayer on time, and if it is possible for him to pray in congregation he must do so, because Allaah says: "So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can" (Q64[al- Taghaabun]: 16)
If there are other colleagues on call with him, they have to pray Dhuhr in congregation. And they were asked (8/192) about a guard in a gas station that is about two kilometers outside the town; "Is it permissible for him not to pray Jumuah, knowing that the station hasﾕ previously been robbed and set ablaze, and his children and mahrams live there?" They replied: "If the matter is as described, then it is permissible for the guard to pray Dhuhr instead of Jumuah, so that he can guard what he mentioned, because of the general meaning of the sharI evidence which indicates that it is allowed not to pray Jumuah in such cases". They were also asked (8/194) about a group of between 13 and 15 employees who work in a petrol refinery and pray Jumuah in their workplace because they cannot go out to pray Jumuah because of their work. They replied: "If the matter is as mentioned, you may pray Jumuah in your workplace, because Allaah says: "So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can"(Q64[al-Taghaabun]: 16)
Conclusion
If you find that the interests of the Muslims as a whole or of an individual will be affected - such as stealing of property, arson, destruction of property etc - as a result of attending Jumuah, it is permissible not to attend and to pray Dhuhr instead. But if the reason for not attending is to make more profit or to increase productivity or to increase study time, or to keep this job and not lose it because this job has a higher salary, and other such worldly interests, then this is not a reason for which shareeah allows one to miss Jumuah.
How can it be, when Allaah says: "O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the salaah (prayer) on Friday Jumuah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumuah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!" (Q62[al-Jumuah]:9) And the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa. sallaam) said: "Whoever misses Jumuah three tinieﾕs out of negligence, Allaah will place a seal over his heart. (SaheehTirmidhi).
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited