Valid Excuses for Missing Jumu`ah

Question: 103055

I graduated as a radiology technician in the Norton Hospital in America. They offered me a job last week, but it seems that they will not give me a day off on Fridays to perform Jumu`ah prayer. What is the ruling?

Summary of answer

1- The valid excuses for missing the Jumu`ah prayer are: being sick or doing essential work that one cannot leave as in the case of one who is treating the sick or dealing with emergency cases in the hospital, or one who works as a security guard for a place of great importance, and other such jobs. 2- If your presence in the hospital at the time of Jumu`ah prayer is necessary for dealing with emergency and accident cases, then there is nothing wrong with your not attending Jumu`ah prayer.

Answer

Table Of Contents

Is Jumu`ah prayer obligatory?
Valid excuses for missing Jumu`ah prayer

Is Jumu`ah prayer obligatory?

It is obligatory on the one who can hear the call to prayer on Friday and is one of those for whom Jumu`ah is obligatory — that is he is a male, Muslim, accountable and free (not a slave) — to respond to the call. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salat (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu`ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allah (Jumu`ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salat (prayer)) and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!” [Al-Jumu`ah 63:9]

And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “People must cease neglecting Jumu`ah , or Allah will put a seal over their hearts and they will truly be among the negligent.” (Narrated by Muslim, 865)

Valid excuses for missing Jumu`ah prayer

There are some excuses that make it permissible for a Muslim to miss Jumu`ah prayer , such as being sick or doing essential work that he cannot leave in order to offer Jumu`ah prayer , as in the case of one who is treating the sick or dealing with emergency cases in the hospital, or one who works as a security guard for a place of great importance, and other such jobs.

Based on that, if your presence in the hospital at the time of Jumu`ah prayer is necessary for dealing with emergency and accident cases, and there is no one else you can do this job apart from you, then there is nothing wrong with your not attending Jumu`ah prayer in that case, and you may pray it as Dhuhr .

But if your staying in the hospital at that time is not necessary, because there are others who could do the work besides you, then there is no excuse for you to miss Jumu`ah prayer , and you have to look for another job which will not conflict with your Islamic duty. If a person gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than it.

We ask Allah to make what is good easy for you wherever it is.

For more details, please refer to the following category: Friday Prayer.

And Allah knows best.

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