Sūrah Al-Jumuʿah The Congregation

الجمعة

Al-Qurṭubī provides the most detailed Qurʾānic fiqh analysis of Jumuʿah (Friday prayer) its conditions, quorum requirement, sermon obligations, and the school differences that make this one of the most contested worship acts.

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahAl-JumuʿahMedinanThe Friday prayer obligation and commercial prohibition

Key Fiqh IssueJumuʿah conditions for valid Friday prayer (quorum, locale, sermon)Farḍ ʿayn on eligible menConditions determine whether Jumuʿah can be validly held

School ComparisonḤanafī: quorum 3 men (some: 4); city/large town required; Mālikī: 12 men; city required; Shāfiʿī: 40 free adult male permanent residents; Ḥanbalī: 40 men; can be held in villagesFarḍ ʿaynQuorum requirement is the most significant condition disagreement

Uṣūl PrincipleShuruṭ al-ṣiḥḥah conditions of valid worshipConditions must be metMissing a condition invalidates the entire prayer

Al-Qurṭubī derives from verse 9 "when the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah" the farḍ ʿayn status of Jumuʿah on every free adult male Muslim who meets the conditions. He maps the most significant school-level disagreements on the conditions (shuruṭ) that must be met before Jumuʿah can be validly held.

The quorum disagreement is practically most significant: the Ḥanafī minimum of three men (with some scholars saying four) means Jumuʿah can be held in small communities; the Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī requirement of forty free adult male permanent residents restricts Jumuʿah to established communities. The locale condition also varies: Ḥanafī and Mālikī restrict Jumuʿah to cities or large towns; Ḥanbalī permits it in villages if the quorum is met. Al-Qurṭubī also addresses the two khuṭbah (sermon) requirement: all schools require two sermons before the prayer; the content and length requirements differ by school.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا Yā ayyuhā lladhīna āmanū idhā nūdiya li-l-ṣalāti min yawmi l-jumuʿati fa-sʿaw Meaning: "O you who believe, when the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah" Al-Qurṭubī: "fa-sʿaw" (hasten) the imperative establishes Jumuʿah attendance as farḍ; "min yawmi l-jumuʿah" specifies the day; the address to "those who believe" establishes the obligation on male Muslims meeting the conditions.

وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ Wa-dharū l-bayʿ Meaning: "And leave off trade" Al-Qurṭubī: the prohibition of trade at the adhan time on Friday is ḥarām during the prayer time a unique prohibition not found for other prayers; al-Qurṭubī derives that this prohibition extends to all distractions from Jumuʿah attendance, not just trade narrowly.

Jumuʿah is farḍ ʿayn on every free adult male Muslim who meets the conditions women, travelers, the sick, and those in rural areas without the required quorum are exempt.
Quorum: Ḥanafī (3-4 men), Mālikī (12 men), Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī (40 men) the most significant condition disagreement.
Locale: Ḥanafī and Mālikī restrict Jumuʿah to cities; Ḥanbalī permits it in villages if quorum conditions are met.
Two khuṭbahs (sermons) are required before the prayer the khuṭbah is not merely recommended but a condition for the prayer's validity.
Trade prohibition during Jumuʿah adhan-to-prayer time is ḥarām a unique day-specific prohibition establishing the sacred character of Friday noon.

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