Q: There is a difference of opinion between the scholars over the holding of multiple Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayers in Bahrain. (Part No. 8; Page No. 257) In the city of Manamah there are four Masjids (mosques) where people perform Jumu`ah Prayers. However, some of the Masjids are small and do not have enough space for their congregations, so many people perform Jumu`ah Prayer in the hot sun, on the road, and on the roofs. What is the ruling on the permissibility of having multiple Jumu`ah Prayers? Are there any Sahih (authentic) texts prohibiting it, bearing in mind that this is permitted in many Muslim countries without a dire necessity? As your Fatwa (legal opinions issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) are reliable and you are a trustworthy source of Fatwa on religious rulings, we wanted to ask Your Eminence our question in the hope that you will explain the ruling to us.

A: It is authentically reported that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) there was no other Masjid where the Jumu`ah Prayer was performed in Al-Madinah, except Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah). The Muslims would to come there for Jumu`ah Prayers from all the areas of Al-Madinah and the outskirts, such as Al-`Awaly. This continued during the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them). So this is practical evidence that shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered all the Muslims from the town to perform Jumu`ah Prayer behind one Imam, as a reminder to them of the unity of their leadership. This united the people, created acquaintances between them, and confirmed the meaning of brotherhood. Had it been permissible for the Muslims to have multiple Masjids in one town offering Jumu`ah Prayer for no legal reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have ordered his Sahabah (Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) to pray in different Masjids on the outskirts of Madinah, because when he (peace be upon him) had to choose between two things, he would choose the easier one, as long as it was (Part No. 8; Page No. 258) not sinful. If an option was sinful, he (peace be upon him) would never choose it. He (peace be upon him) also used to choose the easiest thing for his Ummah (nation) too, acting upon the general meaning of what Allah (Exalted be He) said: Allâh intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. And: Allâh wishes to lighten (the burden) for you; and man was created weak (cannot be patient to leave sexual intercourse with woman). As the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not order the Sahabah to perform Jumu`ah Prayers in multiple Masjids nor did he did permit them to do so, this indicates that he (peace be upon him) meant for all Muslims in a town to gather to perform Jumu`ah Prayer in one Masjid behind one Imam for the abovementioned reasons.However, if the Masjids that offer Jumu`ah Prayer in Manamah are too small for Jumu`ah Prayer to the extent that many people perform the Salah (Prayer) under the hot sun, on the road, and on the roofs, there is no prohibition against offering Jumu`ah Prayer in Masjids other than the four that are currently assigned for Jumu`ah Prayers to meet the need. This should ease matters and prevent any harm as Allah (Exalted be He) says: ...and He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship and: Allâh intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "This Din (religion) is easy and no one overburdens (themselves in) the Din, but it will overcome them." (Part No. 8; Page No. 259) and he said, "Make things easy and do not make them difficult." Therefore, when the Muslims increased in number after the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the Masjids became crowded, they started to offer Jumu`ah Prayer in many different Masjids in one town, acting upon the evidences that call for making matters easy and preventing harm. And the early Muslims were good examples for us.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.