When Eid coincides with the day of Jummah!

When Eid coincides with the day of Jummah, should Jummah be performed on that day or not?

According to our knowledge, we do not know anyone who says that it is not permissible to perform Jummah on that day. It is true that there is a small group that says that it is permissible not to perform Jummah on that day. But according to the vast majority, it is not permissible to neglect or abandon Jummah because the obligation of Jummah is proven by authentic and categorical proofs from the Qur’an and Hadith. A practice that is proven by proofs of such calibre cannot be neglected on the basis of simple ambiguous Hadith.

There are some Hadith that give the impression that this is permissible and that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has authorised not to perform it. However, in the light of a more detailed Hadith, this was addressed to a certain category of people. It was not addressed to everyone. In fact, according to a Hadith, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) had performed the Jummah Salaah on the day of Jummah with the inhabitants of Madinah. According to a Hadith found in Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) had said: “Today, two Eids have coincided. If anyone wants, this (Eid Salah) can exempt him from the Salah of Jummah. However, we will perform the Salah of Jummah.”

When Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said "We", it means Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the inhabitants of Madinah. Thus, this proves that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the inhabitants of Madinah had performed the Jummah Salaah. This shows that the authorisation not to perform Jummah was addressed to another category of people. It was for those people who used to live outside Madinah and who used to come to perform the Eid Salah and the Jummah Salah although it was not obligatory on them. When Eid coincided with the day of Jummah, they had to come early in the morning to perform the Eid Salah. After the Eid Salah was completed, they had two choices. Either they wait for the Jummah Salah or go back home and come back to Madinah later on to perform the Jummah Salah. There was some difficulty in both cases. Thus, to facilitate their task, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) made an announcement that those who wanted to wait, could wait and those who wanted to return home, could return. It was this category of people who was concerned by this announcement. Besides, the Salah of Jummah was not even obligatory on them because they were living in a remote village outside Madinah. In Mauritius, this category of people does not exist. Thus, we must perform Jummah, even if Eid coincides with the day of Jummah.

Advice to liberal preachers

It is not worthy of preachers to come to the microphone to discourage people from the Jummah Salah. An Ibaadah that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) performed with the people of Madinah, certainly is something that is best to carry out. But nowadays, our preachers are delivering speeches under the pretext of teaching Deen, but in reality, they are campaigning to to discourage people from performing the Jummah Salah. When Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has given a mere and simple authorisation for women to perform Salah in the Masjid, they take this and make as if it is obligatory for women to perform Salah in Masjid. Similarly, when Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) gave permission to a certain category of people not to perform Jummah, they are campaigning in the Masjid on the microphone to make people believe that it is not permissible to perform the Jummah Salah. Similarly, they are insistent, persistent and stubborn to do Khutbah in Creole as if it is obligatory to do Khutbah in Creole. 

It is true that in terms of campaigning, they may have succeeded, even though this temporary success is being supported on the weak shoulders of those who do not know. However, it is also true that in terms of proof, they have failed.

[English version of "Quand eid tombe ene jour jum’ah!" – Al Jamiat – Vol.3 No.12]