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Fatwa CenterFriday Prayer and Study Time
Question
I am a student in England and the time of Friday prayer is the same as the studying time. What do I do please?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Know that performing al-Jumu'ah prayer ranks high in Islam. Then, neglecting it without a genuine reason constitutes a grave offence and major sin according to the Sharee’ah. It is reported in Saheeh Muslim and other books of sound Hadeeth that the Prophet used to say while on his Minbar (pulpit): “Those who are not attending the Friday prayer should change their ways; otherwise, Allah, The Exalted, will seal their hearts and they will be reckoned as heedless.”
It was reported in al-Musnad and as-Sunan books of Hadeeth that the Prophet said: “Whoever misses three Friday prayers in a row out of negligence without a genuine reason, will have a seal put over his heart by Allah.”
A third Hadeeth that urges Muslims to attend this prayer reads: “The five daily prayers, from the Friday prayer to the other Friday, and fasting the month of Ramadan to other Ramadan constitute a means of expiation to all misdeeds if major misdeeds are avoided.” [Muslim]
Allah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.} [Quran 62: 9:]
So, every free, pubescent, sane and resident male Muslim (women are exempt) who has the ability to attend this prayer should not miss it unless he has a valid Islamic reason. In other words, studying does not constitute an Islamic reason for leaving the Friday prayer. Thus, you have to co-ordinate with those who are in charge of classes to specify study hours that allow you to go to attend your prayers if possible; otherwise, you are to absent yourself from attending lectures that come during the time of the Friday prayer. Then, you can do your best to benefit from students who attended those lectures even though this leads to leaving all study, since your study does not constitute an Islamic necessity for which one may abandon an Islamic obligation.
Allah knows best.
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