Q: I am a Saudi citizen and belong to the people of Al-Qwaiayah in Al-`Ard. I work as the bank manager of the branch of the Agricultural Bank in Riyadh. I was sent by the bank to America to study for a master's degree. I live in a small town in Texas. When I arrived there, I found some Saudi brothers and other Muslim brothers. We offer congregational Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer. Sometimes we are six, eight or ten persons. I need your advice; may Allah reward you best. Is offering Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer by six, eight or ten people valid? I am asking this because my friends and I thought Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer requires at least forty persons to be valid.

A: The ruling on the person who travels, for example, to America for study, is the same as the ruling (Part No. 8; Page No. 210) on the person who resides in a given place; because study continues for a limited period. The person mentioned in the question traveled to study for a master's degree; something that requires him to stay for a long period without benefiting from the licenses of traveling. Whoever intends to stay in another country for more than twenty-one times of Salah (Prayer) should not benefit from the licenses of traveling according to the well-known views of religious scholars. If the person intends to stay less than this, he may benefit from the licenses of traveling because the Messenger (peace be upon him) came to Makkah in the morning of the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah and stayed there for the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh days of Dhul-Hijjah and offered the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer on the eighth day then went to Mina. He used to shorten Salah (Prayer) during these days. This means that whoever intends to stay more than this must not benefit from the licenses of traveling; because the basic ruling is offering complete Salah (Prayer) that is obligatory unless the Prophet (peace be upon him) did so and there is no proof that he stayed more than the mentioned period.As regards the least number of men required for a valid Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer, there is no evidence - as far as we know - that specifies a given number. Due to the absence of evidence that specifies a number, religious scholars differed on the least number of men required for offering Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer. One of the views is that the least number required for Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer is three residents and this is based on the narration of Imam Ahmad and Al-Awza`y and Shaykh Taqy Al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah opted for this view according to the Saying of Allah (Exalted be He): ...come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu‘ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] and the least number for a congregational prayer is three persons. (Part No. 8; Page No. 211) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.