Is Being Too Far from the Mosque an Excuse to Miss the Friday Prayer?
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I’m new to praying in Islam (I am a Male). I can’t go to the Mosque alone, and my dad (a Muslim who doesn’t pray) won’t take me there. He tells me to “not to worry/think about the Jummah prayer yet”
What should I do when it’s time for Jummah? Should I just pray Dhuhr? Please don’t tell me to tell my father that praying is a must because I can’t tell him since he’s stressed about work. And also, I don’t have anyone else that could take me to the mosque.
Sorry if there are any mistakes in my question.
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Congratulations on trying your best to practice your religion despite the difficult circumstances you are experiencing!
The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon Him) has said: “A time for people will come in which adhering to one’s religion will be like grasping a hot coal.” [ Tirmidhi]
Because you are a male adult, it is obligatory for you to pray the Friday prayer. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
If you have the means to go to the mosque by paying for a bus or a taxi, you should do so.
Allah, Most High, says: “O believers! When the call to prayer is made on Friday, then proceed ˹diligently˺ to the remembrance of Allah and leave off ˹your˺ business. That is best for you, if only you knew.” [62.9]
If you are not able to pray the Friday prayer, you simply have to pray the Zuhr prayer alone instead.
Genuine Hardship
Being far from the mosque can be an excuse to miss the Friday prayer because of the hardship entailed.
In a previous answer at SeekersGuidance, it has been mentioned that to be free from those excuses that allow one to miss the congregation is a condition for the obligation of the Friday prayer.
Please see: The Detailed Rulings Related to Friday Prayer
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, may Allah protect him, mentions in a previous answer that being far from the mosque is one of these excuses:
“As for ‘being far from the mosque,’ major scholars have explained that being an Arab mile (1.85 km) away from the mosque is considered being far, and considered an excuse. Others have chosen to explain it as being ‘such that there is genuine hardship in getting to the mosque.’ When one is ‘far from the mosque,’ one is no longer blameworthy for not praying at the mosque.”
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
