Missing Friday Prayer for A Family Gathering

13-5-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

We have annual gathering of my family which is going to be on Friday and distance from my home to the place of gathering is 120 km. On the place where we will going to gather there is no mosque. Is it permissible for me to miss Friday prayer, or family gathering which is once a year.
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 sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is no objection to your traveling and attending this gathering even if that will cause you to miss a Friday prayer as long as this travel is for a good purpose; i.e., not for committing a sin. But we remind you that it is unlawful to initiate this trip after Zawaal (the sun passes the meridian/midday) because the jurists are agreed that it is forbidden for the Muslim to start a trip after the Zawaal of Friday as long as the Jumu'ah prayer is mandatory on him. Several of these scholars dislike traveling before Zawaal.

For more benefit on the conditions for Friday prayer, please refer to Fataawa 82835, 82979, 356992, and 257203.

Allah knows best.

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