The Prohibition on the Friday Prayer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Graceful,

Oh Allah, send peace and blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, as well as upon his purified Household. May Your damnation be upon all of their enemies, for they are Yours too.

Introduction

It is now a widespread tradition and an established obligation for every Muslim not only in the Bakri community, but also in the Shi’a, to perform the Jumu’ah prayer in congregation. However, it was not like this for all of the history of Ahl al-Tashayyu. In fact, many narrations prove the prohibition on the Jumu’ah prayer, as well as the example of the scholars during the first centuries of the Major Occulation.

According to the narrations of the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them)

وعن امير المؤمنين عليه السلام إنه قال: لا يصلح الحكم ولا الحدود ولا الجمعة إلا بامام عدل

Amir al-Mumineen (peace be upon him) said: “Neither rulings, punishments or Friday prayers are permissible except with a just Imam”.[1] [2]

عن جعفر بن محمد عن آبائه عن علي عليهم السلام قال: "لا يصلح الحكم ولا الحدود ولا الجمعة الا بامام" (…) وفى النبوي " ان الجمعة والحكومة لإمام لمسلمين ".

Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad quotes from his forefathers that Imam Ali (peace be upon them all) said: “There won’t be rulings, punishments or Friday prayers except with an Imam” (…) and from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): “the Friday prayer and the government are of the Imam of the Muslims”.[3]

One could argue that the word “Imam” here does not entail a “Ma’soom”, but rather it just refers to the leader of the Salat. However, as the last hadith shows, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) made it clear: there is no Friday prayer —amongst other things— except with the Imam of the Muslims, which in our time is no other than Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah grant him peace and hasten his reappearance).

In the Dua of Friday and Eid ul-Adha in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya:

اللهم إن هذا المقام لخلفائك وأصفيائك ومواضع أمنائك في الدرجة وثاني العيدين، اللهم إن هذا المقام لخلفائك وأصفيائك ومواضع أمنائك في الدرجة الرفيعة التي اختصصتهم بها قد ابتزوها وأنت المقدر لذلك - إلى أن قال: - حتى عاد صفوتك وخلفاؤك مغلوبين مقهورين مبتزين يرون حكمك مبدلا - إلى أن قال: - اللهم العن أعداهم من الأولين والآخرين ومن رضي بفعالهم وأشياعهم لعنا وبيلا.

Oh Allah, verily this station is for Your Caliphs and Your Pure Ones, and the positions of Your trustees in the degree and the second of the two feasts (i.e. Eid al-Adha). Oh Allah, this station is for Your Caliphs and Your Pure Ones and the positions of Your trustees in the lofty degree that You have allocated for them. If he said: “Oh God, curse their enemies from the first and the last, and whoever is satisfied with their actions and their supporters, a curse and a scourge. [4]

A historical perspective [5]

For centuries the establishment of Friday prayer was a matter of discussion within the Shia community. Shaykh al-Tusi and Shaykh al-Mufid (may Allah have mercy upon them) regarded it as permissible, but at no point obligatory. Other scholars, such as Sharif Murtadha or Sallar Deylami took the stand for its prohibition without the Imam designated by Allah. [6]

Later in time, during Safavid Persia (1501 - 1736 CE), several opinions also existed regarding Salat al-Jumu’ah: Allamah al-Majlisi and Mulla Mohsen Fayd al-Kashani held it as obligatory, while Fadil Hindi, a student of Al-Majlisi argued it was forbidden since, were a jurist to take over the leadership at the Friday congregational prayer, that would mean he had under no permission revived an institution inherently owned by Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) and which only he can delegate to others (i.e. his Deputyship). [7]

During the two Safavid centuries, no widespread institutionalisation of Friday prayers existed. Some Shahs did attend some Jumu’ah prayers, but it was in no way as widespread as it was in the surrounding Mughal and Ottoman Empires.[8]

It was during the Qajar dynasty (1789 - 1923 CE) that congregational Friday prayers became far more common. This was due to the Sultan or the council of jurists appointing the Imam al-Jama’ah of each provincial city, a system created during the reign of Agha Muhammad Khan (1789 - 1797 CE) and later further elaborated and established during that of his son, Fath Ali Shah (1797 - 1834 CE).[9] During this period and, as Fadil Hindi had predicted, the governors and the appointed leaders of Friday prayers would have political fights between them and tensions would occur due to their aim for power.

From the Qajar dynasty up to the first half of the 20th century, many measures were taken to promote the Friday prayer, specially during the Pahlavi period (1925 - 1978 CE).

Conclusion

Although it is hard to see how Friday prayers are a clear innovation due to is commonness, the proofs both from the narrations of the Household of the Prophet (upon all of them be peace) and history make clear this undeniable fact. Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance and send peace upon him) went into Ghayba 1149 years ago, out of which 1082 have been during the Major Occultation. For about 700 years the Jumu’ah prayer was a discussed and rather unfrequent phenomenon, and only for the last 300 years at most has it been such a widespread tradition.

Peace and blessings be upon all of you,

Abu Haider