Q 1: Is it permissible to offer Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer an hour before Zawal (midday), due to working time constraints in France? It should be noted that if we do not perform it before work starts, i.e., an hour before Zawal, we will miss it. Does necessity give us such permission? Guide us, may Allah reward you with the best!

A: The scholars differ concerning determining the beginning of the time of Jumu`ah Prayer; the majority of them hold that its time is the beginning of Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer when the sun moves away from its central meridian. Therefore, it is not permissible to offer it a few minutes before Zawal, on account of the narration of Salamah ibn Al-Akwa` (may Allah be pleased with him): We used to observe the Jumu`ah Prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when the sun passed the meridian, and we then returned and tried to find the afternoon shadow (of the walls for protecting themselves from the heat of the sun). Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. They also cited the saying of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to offer the Jumu`ah Prayer immediately after midday. Reported by Al-Bukhari. A group of scholars said that it is not permissible before six or five hours after sunrise.Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others hold that it begins at the beginning of the time of Salat-ul-`Eid (the Festival Prayer) and that Zawal is the beginning of the time when it is due to perform it. The evidence they cited for the permissibility of performing it before Zawal was the saying of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to observe Salah - he meant the Jumu`ah Prayer - then we went (back) to our camels and gave them rest until the sun passed the meridian. Reported by Muslim. Salamah ibn Al-Akwa` (may Allah be pleased with him) also said: We used to observe Jumu`ah Prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and when we returned we did not find the shadow of the walls in which we could take protection (from the heat of the sun). Reported by Abu Dawud. (Part No. 8; Page No. 217) We can reconcile between these Hadith by suggesting that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray it most of the time after Zawal and would sometimes pray it before Zawal.Accordingly, it is preferable to pray it after Zawal in order to follow the deed most observed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to avoid controversy. This gives evidence to the fact that such a matter depends on Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings) and that it is flexible; anyone who prays almost before Zawal, their prayer is valid In sha’a-Allah (if Allah wills), particularly if there is an excuse as the case mentioned by the questioner.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.