1.0 Introduction

Praise be to Allaah, who made the observance of solaatul-jumu`ah (the Jumu`ah prayer) an obligation on His servants. May His infinite mercy be upon the noble soul of prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). Verily, as-solaah (the five daily prayers) forms one of the five main pillars of Islaam, in which the Friday prayer (jumu`ah) is enshrined. This is predicated on the Hadiith narrated by Abil-Ja`d on the authority of the prophet (S.A.W.) to have said: "Whoever, in negligence, misses three consecutive jumu`ah, his qolb (heart) will be sealed". Hence, the focus of this piece is to analyse notable issues surrounding women and Jumu`ah prayer.

2.0 ON WHOM DOES ATTENDING JUMU`AH BECOME OBLIGATORY?

Before delving into the main discourse, the question whether attending the Jumu`ah prayer is strictly for all Muslim adherents needs to be addressed. That is, is it obligatory on all Muslims? As expounded by Imaam An-Nawawiyy and other notable scholars relying on the various prophetic narrations, Jumu`ah service (Friday prayer) is an individual obligation and not a collective obligation. That is, to attend Jumu`ah is compulsory for every Muslim, just like the notorious five daily prayers.

Further reliance on a quite number of prophetic traditions shows that, notwithstanding the mandatory nature of the Jumu`ah prayer, some individuals are exempted. Meaning, while jumu`ah is deemed obligatory on some people, the rule does not apply to some categories of individual, as clearly envisaged in the narration of Tooriq amidst a plethora of prophetic authorities. Tooriq's narration reads that: "The Jumu`ah prayer is a compulsory rite for every mature Muslim, except for four categories of persons: a slave, a lady, a child [yet to attain puberty], and the sick". This Hadiith is recorded in the Sunan of Abu Dawud Hadiith No. 1068.

Thus, categorically, women are not mandated to attend Jumu`ah prayer. However, what are they expected to do? Are they required to alternately observe Zuhr prayer? When and in what manner are they required to act? These questions and other related issues will be laid to rest in the succeeding segment. Continue reading!

3.0 HOW SHOULD SOLAATUL-JUMU`AH BE OBSERVED BY A MUSLIM LADY?

Flowing from the preceding paragraphs, this part seeks to analyse how Muslim women are enjoined to observe their Jumu`ah prayer. As enunciated above, categories of women with reference to Friday prayer include those who may elect to attend the jumu`ah willfully and those who may do otherwise. On the former, the matter is as simple as ABC. Women attending Jumu`ah have no other option but to follow the imaam, who only observes two enshrined rakats of Jumu`ah.

As for those not attending Jumu`ah in congregation with men, theirs will be solaatuz-zuhr (the noon prayer). That is, women not attending jumu`ah are, by the provisions of the sharii`ah, to alternate with Zuhr prayer (the noon prayer). In doing so, they are required to observe the full four rakats of Zuhr. However, another issue lies in when they should pray the Zuhr prayer. Should they wait till men are done with their Jumu`ah service?

Firstly, it is unanimously agreed upon by eminent Islamic jurists that a woman does not need to wait for the men to finish their Jumu`ah prayer. They (women) are to pray once it is Zuhr time. In this sense, since women not attending Jumu`ah would rather pray four rakat of Zuhr, they are to do so once it is time for Zuhr, notwithstanding that men are yet to observe their Jumu`ah prayer. The principles governing both are not the same and lucid.

Secondly, there is the issue of an instance in which a woman can hear from her house the voice of the imaam. Thus, the question about a woman or lady relying on such a voice. That is, is it permissible for a lady or woman whose house is not far from the masjid (mosque) to rely on the voice of the imaam by imitating the imaam even though she does not see the imaam or those behind the imaam?

Answering the above question, there are a plethora of scholarly opinions and explanations on its permissibility or otherwise. The summary of it all is that it is not permissible for a Muslim lady or woman to rely on the voice of the imam simply because her house is very close to the mosque and, as such, she can clearly hear the voice of the imam. This is supported by the Hadiith reported by `Aaishah (R.A) where she forbade women imitating the imaam while they (they women) are in separate houses completely detached from the mosque building or not specifically designated for the Muslim women as part of the mosque arena. Notwithstanding, a Muslim lady or woman not attending jumu`ah in that situation may delay her Zuhr till the time the imaam finishes his khutbah (Friday sermon), but she will not imitate the imaam by following his movement during the solaah. She is to observe the zuhr prayer herself in lieu of not attending the Jumu`ah. This way, she can benefit from the content of the khutbah without necessarily attending the Jumu'ah, so long she hears the imam's sermon from her place. Allaah knows best!

4.0 CONCLUSION

In a coda, this piece has outlined briefly the Islamic position on women and solaatul-jumu`ah (Friday prayer). It finds that attending the Jumu`ah service is not a mandate on the females; it is a matter of discretion. However, in such a state, a lady who elects not to attend Jumu`ah prayer must pray her Zuhr alternately at the exact time of Zuhr. And also, she needs not to wait for the men to round up with their Jumu`ah service. Once it is time to observe her Zuhr prayer, she should. And that equally, a woman is not allowed to follow up with the imaam on the basis that she could hear the imaam right from her house