On Holding Multiple Friday Prayers in the Same Mosque in Non-Islamic Countries: The Shari`a Perspective

Abstract

Earlier jurisprudents differed in the provision of the multiplicity of Friday prayers in the same country to be absolutely prevented, absolutely permitted or permitted under conditions. Then multiple Friday prayers were allowed in the same country when there was a need. With the contemporary migration of Muslims to non-Islamic countries and the conversion of native residents to Islam and due to financial difficulties in most cases and the small number of Muslims in some large countries, Islamic minorities are facing the dilemma of having few mosques in comparison with the number of mosques in Islamic countries. Thus Islamic minorities in non-Islamic countries face the need to hold more than one Friday prayer in the same mosque due to a variety of reasons such as insufficient space and differences in work and school schedules, etc. A Questionnaire survey has shown in this paper that fifty-one percent (51%) of Islamic centers -in question- in the United States hold more than one Friday prayer in the same mosque.Is this permitted from the perspective of Shari`a? Contemporary jurisprudents have two views regarding this contemporary matter: permission or prevention. However, after examining the evidence of both parties and the reality of Muslim minorities' life in that country, the research concluded that holding multiple Friday prayers in the same mosque should be allowed after meeting certain conditions as explained in the paper.