Question:

If the 'Eed prayer and the Friday prayer come on the same day, is the Friday prayer still obligatory? Is it true that if one performs 'Eed prayer he can leave the Friday prayer?

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.

If the 'Eed happens to be on a Friday, there are three opinions regarding praying the Friday prayer for somebody who has prayed the 'Eed prayer:

- The first opinion is that he should pray the Friday prayer even though he has prayed the 'Eed prayer. This is, actually, the opinion of the majority of scholars.

- The second opinion is that the Friday prayer is not obligatory on the people who live in the suburbs and whose presence to the mosque constitutes some sort of hardship. This is narrated from Othman that he prayed the 'Eed prayer and permitted the people from the outskirts (of Madeena) not to attend the Friday prayer that day. It is also the opinion of Imam Shafi'e .

- The third opinion is that whoever prays the 'Eed prayer is allowed not to pray the Friday prayer and instead he has to offer the Thuhr prayer. But in this case, the Imam should establish the Friday prayer so that those who like to attend it can do that. It is narrated in the collections of Hadeeth that it happened during the era of the Prophet that the 'Eed took place on a Friday, then the Prophet prayed the 'Eed prayer and authorized people to pray the Friday prayer or to leave it. In another narration of this Hadeeth, he prayed the 'Eed and then addressed the people saying: "O people! You have acquired some good thing. Now, whoever wants to be present among us during the Friday prayer can do so, as we will pray the Friday prayer".

This last opinion is the soundest one as narrated from the Prophet his Caliphs and Companions . It is also the opinion of Imam Ahmad and other Imams, may Allaah have mercy upon them, who got to know this sound Hadeeth, but those who went against this opinion might not have come to know such a Hadeeth or rather the reports related to this opinion might not have been accepted as sound by them.

Allah Knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb