Multiple Friday Prayers (Jumu‘ah) in a Single Urban Settlement (Miṣr) in Light of Contemporary Urban Developments: A Jurisprudential and Maqāṣid-Based Study

Abstract

This research examines the issue of holding multiple Friday prayers (Jumu‘ah) within the same city, a jurisprudential matter of renewed importance given contemporary urban transformations, city expansion, and population growth. The study aims to clarify the legal ruling on the multiplicity of Jumu‘ah prayers in a single urban settlement (Miṣr) through a comparative jurisprudential study that reviews the opinions of the four major Sunni schools of law. It identifies the point of disagreement, outlines the relevant legal controls for its permissibility, and highlights the resulting jurisprudential and social implications.

The paper begins by defining the concept of Friday prayer and its religious and social significance, based on evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. It emphasizes the higher objectives (maqāṣid) achieved through this prayer, primarily the objective of communal unity and the public manifestation of Islamic rituals. The study then addresses the impact of the concept of “Miṣr” on the establishment of Friday prayer among jurists, illustrating their differences in defining its parameters and how this affected the conditions for the validity and number of congregations.

In the third section, the research presents the views of jurists regarding the ruling on multiple Jumu‘ah prayers in one locality. The majority of scholars maintain that the original rule is the unity of the congregation to preserve communal cohesion. However, they permit multiplicity in cases of need or necessity, such as mosque overcrowding, large population size, or the difficulty of gathering in a single location. Their legal reasoning is analyzed in light of universal maxims, such as the "removal of hardship" and the principle that "necessity is assessed according to its extent".

Furthermore, the research outlines the doctrinal and jurisprudential guidelines for multiple Jumu‘ah prayers in the modern era, emphasizing the need to preserve unity, prevent sectarian division, and ensure each congregation fulfills all legal conditions. It stresses that multiplicity must be authorized by competent authorities and limited to legitimate needs. The study also clarifies the effects of this practice on the validity of prayer, communal cohesion, and the facilitation of worship in major cities and minority-Muslim contexts.

The study concludes that while the ideal remains a unified Friday prayer, permitting multiple congregations in cases of genuine need aligns more closely with Sharia objectives and rules, provided they adhere to the legal and organizational controls that prevent conflict or the loss of communal unity. This demonstrates that Islamic jurisprudence, through its maqāṣid-based approach, is capable of accommodating urban developments and balancing the preservation of religious rituals with the removal of hardship for the people.