If Eid falls on Friday, would its Salah suffice for Jum’ah Salah?

Bismillahi Ta’ala

Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah,

It is Hanafi position that the Eid Congregational Salah and Jum’ah congregational salah are two separate injunctions and one does not waive of the other. Hence one would perform Eid Salah as well as the Friday Salah should they coincide on the same day.

The question was answered in detail from Darul Iftaa under Mufti Ebrahim Desai rahimahullah which I am reproducing hereunder:

According to the Ḥanafi, Shafi’i, and Maliki madhhab, if ‘Id falls on a Friday, then the ‘Id salah and khutbah will not suffice for Jum’ah. The jurists have ruled that these are two different commandments and cannot be combined under any circumstance. (I’laʾ al-Sunan, vol. 8, p. 92)

According to the Hanbali madhhab, we have managed to trace a view of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahu Allah) who says that the ‘Id salah will suffice for the Jum’ah, hence, after the ‘Id salah, the next salah that a person will have to perform is the ‘Asr salah on that Friday. (Tahtawi, p. 288). The ahadith that were mentioned by the Imam are the very same ones which the Hanbalis use to support their madhhab. Before answering these ahadith, we need to understand a few things which are of vital importance.

There are four authentic sources in Din from which any masʾalah (ruling) must be established. These are Qur’an, hadith, ijma’ (consensus), and qiyas (analogy). As long as a masʾalah is established by any one of these four sources, it will be considered to be part of our Din. It is not necessary for a masʾalah to be established only by Qur’an and/or hadith. The Qur’an and hadith mention guidelines and fundamental laws from which the expert jurists extract and derive various masa’il. It is not the work of any ordinary person to ‘glance’ at verses of the Qur’an or hadith and then draw up his own conclusions. This is the work of the experts. The four great Imams had sound knowledge of every branch of Din which made them qualify to extract different masa’il after deep study and research into the Qur’an and hadith. It is, therefore, wajib (obligatory) for us to follow them in understanding our Din. Similarly, a person is not allowed to follow his own desires by sometimes following one Imam and at times another. It is wajib to follow one Imam in all his verdicts.

Now that we have understood the above, our subject matter is: ‘Will ‘Id salah suffice for Jum’ah?’ We must understand that the obligation of Jum’ah is explicitly mentioned and established by the Qur’an, the strongest of all proofs is the Qur’an. One who denies any verse of the Qur’an will become a kafir. On the other hand, the obligation of ‘Id salah is established through hadith. Undoubtedly, the hadith is a very strong proof, but of a lower degree than the Qur’an. One who denies something that is established through hadith will not become a kafir. Keeping this in mind, even a person of little understanding will be able to come to this simple conclusion: how can something that is proven from hadith have so much power and strength that it totally cancels something that is clearly and explicitly proven from the Qur’an? How can the ‘Id salah abrogate the obligation of Jum’ah?

Furthermore, there are a few ahadith (as mentioned by the Imam) which outwardly show the permissibility of missing Jum’ah when ‘Id falls on a Friday. These ahadith have slight variations but the gist of all is similar. As an example, to understand this mas’alah properly, we will look at one narration: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that (on Friday, the day of ‘Id), Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) addressed all his companions saying, “Today, two ‘Ids have gathered together (‘Id and Jum’ah). Whosoever from you wishes, then this salah (‘Id) will suffice him for Jum’ah. We will soon gather again if Allah wills.” (Ibn Majah, p. 93)

Firstly, the muhaddithin who are the experts in the field of hadith have mentioned that the authenticity of these narrations is disputed. However, even if we have to accept the authenticity of these narrations, then another answer is that during the time of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), people from outside the city of Madinah living in the farmlands and villages used to come to Madinah and gather for the ‘Id salah. At this point, we have to remember that just as ‘Id salah is not wajib on those living outside the city (on farms, villages, etc.), similarly, Jum’ah is also not wajib on them. (Tahtawi, p. 288)

These Bedouins and villagers who came to Madinah came on their own will out of joy and happiness, being the day of ‘Id. The ‘Id salah, as we know, is performed a little after sunrise in the morning. It was, therefore, difficult for these villagers to stay behind in the city after performing the ‘Id salah and wait for Jum’ah. This is what is being referred to in these narrations. Looking at all these narrations, with slight variations, one narration says that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whomsoever wishes he may perform Jum’ah salah and whosoever wishes he may return.” Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was addressing the Bedouins and villagers here because, for them to stay behind till Jum’ah was a long wait and would be difficult for them. Since Jum’ah was not wajib on them, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to them that if they wished to return to their farmlands, they are at will to do so.

The proof that this law was said only for the Bedouins is that in the first narration of Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu), Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “We will soon gather again if Allah wills,” i.e., here Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) addressing the people of the city says to them that very soon we will be gathering for Jum’ah. Therefore, the standard answer to all these narrations is that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did give permission to miss Jum’ah if ‘Id falls on a Friday, but this permission was only for the Bedouins because Jum’ah was not wajib on them at all in the first place.

In order to substantiate this even further, we will look at another narration. Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) in his time, once addressed the congregation after the ‘Id salah which also fell on a Friday. He said to them, “Whomsoever from amongst the villagers wishes to wait for Jum’ah, then he may do so, and whomsoever wishes to return, then I have granted him permission.” (Muwatta’, p. 165)

Look at this narration. It is clearer than broad daylight that this permission was only for the villagers. Furthermore, in this narration, Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) made this statement in front of a large gathering of great sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum). If this permission was general and included the people of the city also, then the sahabah would have opposed and raised objections immediately against Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) as to why he was granting special permission only for the Bedouins and not for the people of the city.

In view of the above, and in brief, we will say that if we do accept these narrations to be authentic, then too the permission to skip Jum’ah and suffice on ‘Id salah was only for the villagers simply because Jum’ah was not wajib upon them.

The second question was with regards to women in their menstrual period coming to the ‘Id salah. During the time of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), women used to go to the masajid and also be present for the ‘Id salah. There are narrations where Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) permitted the women to attend the ‘Id salah. What we need to understand is the reason behind this permission. Why was such permission granted?

During that time, Islam and the Muslims were small in number compared to the non-believers. When the Muslims came out to perform the ‘Id salah, the women would also join them so as to make the Muslims larger in number and stronger, thereby putting fear into the hearts of the enemy. But in times later on, when Islam grew and the numbers increased, then automatically there was no need for this. Moreover, in today’s times when the level of vice and evil is beyond control, there stands all the more reason for women not to attend the ‘Id salah.

The Qur’an also mentions that women should stay indoors. For women to attend the ‘Id salah is mustahabb in light of the permission granted by Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), but because of the fear of fitnah and considering the evils and corruption, especially in our times, the fuqaha’ have ruled that it is not permissible.

Let alone our times today, after the demise of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), during the time of the sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum), some of them were also of the same view. That is why Sayyidatuna ‘A’ishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) is reported to have said, “Had the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) been alive in these days, he would have certainly prohibited the women from attending congregational salah.” Sayyidatuna ‘A’ishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) made this statement with regards to her time — the time of the sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) — the time when the level of Islam was at its peak. In today’s day and age of evil and corruption, it shows us that there is all the more reason for women to be prohibited from leaving the home for any form of congregational salah.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Asad Haffejee
Dar al-Ifta’

Checked and Approved Correct:
Mufti Ebrahim Desa’i (Head: Dar al-Ifta’);
Mufti Muhammad Kadwa (Dar al-Ifta’);
Mawlana Muhammad Harun Abbassomar (Faculty of Specialty in Hadith)

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi