How Would One Treat Revenue Earned From Online Sales That Take Place After the Call to the Friday Prayer?

Answered by Shaykh Umer Mian

Question: Assalam alaikum,

How would one treat revenue earned from online sales that take place after the call to the Friday prayer?

Answer: Wa alaikum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

The short answer is: the Hanafi fuqaha have differed on this issue. Some considered sales after the adhan of Jumuah to be permissible if such sales do not interfere with one’s attendance at Jumuah. Others deemed such sales to be impermissible (i.e. regardless wether or not they interfere). The more scrupulous way would be to follow the latter opinion and avoid such sales. However, if there is a pressing need, the former opinion could be taken.

The detailed answer is:
Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ
فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew! (Qur’an 62:9)

The classical Hanafi fuqaha discussed the issue of sales that occur after the adhan of Jumuah but do not prevent one’s attendance at the Jumuah prayer. The example they gave is two people walking toward the masjid to attend Jumuah prayer and simultaneously engaging in buying and selling. In this situation, their buying and selling does not interfere with their attendance at the Jumuah prayer.

They differed on this issue, as follows:
1) One group says that the verse above is unconditional and hence is a prohibition of any sales between the adhan of Jumuah and the performance of Jumuah prayer, whether or not such sales interfere with one’s attendance at Jumuah. This view was preferred by al-Zayla’i in his Tabyeen al-Haqa’iq and many others who followed him.

2) Another group says that the verse is only prohibiting actions which interfere with one’s attendance at Jumuah prayer. Hence, sales which do not cause such interference do not fall under the prohibition. This view was preferred by al-Zabidi in his two works al-Siraj al-Wahhaj and al-Jawharah al-Nayyirah. Several others also preferred this view including al-Saghnaqi in his al-Nihayah sharh al-Hidayah and al-Babarti in his al-‘Inayah sharh al-Hidayah.

Arabic sources are cited below.

Wassalam.

الدر المختار – باب البيع الفاسد
( وَكُرِهَ ) تَحْرِيمًا مَنَعَ الصِّحَّةَ ( الْبَيْعُ عِنْدَ الْأَذَانِ الْأَوَّلِ ) إلَّا إذَا تَبَايَعَا يَمْشِيَانِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ لِتَعْلِيلِ النَّهْيِ بِالْإِخْلَالِ بِالسَّعْيِ ، فَإِذَا انْتَفَى انْتَفَى ، وَقَدْ خُصَّ مِنْهُ مَنْ لَا جُمُعَةَ عَلَيْهِ ذَكَرَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ .

رد المحتار – باب البيع الفاسد
( قَوْلُهُ إلَّا إذَا تَبَايَعَا يَمْشِيَانِ إلَخْ ) قَالَ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ : هَذَا مُشْكِلٌ ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ نَهَى عَنْ الْبَيْعِ مُطْلَقًا ، فَمَنْ أَطْلَقَهُ فِي بَعْضِ الْوُجُوهِ يَكُونُ تَخْصِيصًا وَهُوَ نَسْخٌ ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ بِالرَّأْيِ شُرُنْبُلَالِيَّةٌ .
وَالْجَوَابُ مَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ الشَّارِحُ مِنْ أَنَّ النَّصَّ مُعَلَّلٌ بِالْإِخْلَالِ بِالسَّعْيِ وَمُخَصَّصٌ ، لَكِنْ مَا مَشَى عَلَيْهِ الشَّارِحُ هُنَا مَشَى عَلَى خِلَافِهِ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ تَبَعًا لِلْبَحْرِ وَالزَّيْلَعِيِّ

الجوهرة النيرة – باب صلاة الجمعة
وَلَا يُكْرَهُ الْبَيْعُ وَالشِّرَاءُ فِي حَالَةِ السَّعْيِ إذَا لَمْ يَشْغَلْهُ

العناية شرح الهداية – فَصْلٌ فِيمَا يُكْرَهُ من البيوع
( قَوْلُهُ ثُمَّ فِيهِ ) بَيَانٌ لِلْقُبْحِ الْمُجَاوِرِ ، فَإِنَّ الْبَيْعَ قَدْ يُخِلُّ بِوَاجِبِ السَّعْيِ إذْ قَعَدَا أَوْ وَقَفَا يَتَبَايَعَانِ ، وَأَمَّا إذَا تَبَايَعَا يَمْشِيَانِ فَلَا إخْلَالَ فَيَصِحُّ بِلَا كَرَاهَةٍ .

تبيين الحقائق – بَابُ الْبَيْعِ الْفَاسِدِ
قَالَ ( وَالْبَيْعُ عِنْدَ أَذَانِ الْجُمُعَةِ ) لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ } وَلِأَنَّ فِيهِ إخْلَالًا بِالْوَاجِبِ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْوُجُوهِ وَهُوَ السَّعْيُ بِأَنْ قَعَدَا لِلْبَيْعِ أَوْ وَقَفَا لَهُ وَذَكَرَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ أَنَّهُمَا إذَا تَبَايَعَا وَهُمَا يَمْشِيَانِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَعَزَاهُ إلَى أُصُولِ الْفِقْهِ لِأَبِي الْيُسْرِ وَهَذَا مُشْكِلٌ ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ نَهَى عَنْ الْبَيْعِ مُطْلَقًا فَمَنْ أَطْلَقَهُ فِي بَعْضِ الْوُجُوهِ يَكُونُ تَخْصِيصًا وَهُوَ نَسْخٌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ بِالرَّأْيِ

مجمع الأنهر – باب البيع الفاسد
( والبيع عند أذان الجمعة ) لقوله تعالى { وذروا البيع } ولأن فيه إخلالا بواجب السعي إذا قعدا للبيع أو وقفا له وأطلقه فشمل ما إذا تبايعا وهما يمشيان إليها وما في النهاية من عدم الكراهة مشكل لإطلاق الآية .