Should I leave my job to pray the Jumuah Salah?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Jumu’ah Salah is an obligation of Deen. It is not permissible for any Muslim to leave out Jumu’ah without a valid excuse in Sahri’ah. There are severe warnings mentioned against those who leave out Jumu’ah Salah intentionally.

It has been mentioned on the authority of Jaabir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “…Verily Allah Ta’ala has made Jumu’ah obligatory upon you on this very day, in this month of this year, till the day of Qiyamah. The one who leaves out this Salaah during my lifetime or after I have left this world, whether he has a just or unjust ruler, taking this commandment lightly or not accepting the commandment, Allah will create disunity in him, he will have misfortune in all his doings. No Salaah of his will be accepted, no Zakaat of his will be accepted, no Haj of his will be accepted, no fasting of his will be accepted and no good deed of his will be accepted until he repents. Allah Ta’ala forgives the one who seeks for forgiveness…”. (Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 1081)

It has been reported on the authority of Abul Ja’ad Al Dhumari (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Allah Ta’ala seals the heart of that person who misses out three Jumu’ahs due to negligence. (Sunan an-Nasa'i Hadith 1370)

It is understood from the severity of the warnings in the Ahadith that is necessary to request from your employer sufficient time off to perform Jumu’ah Salah on Fridays. It is not permissible to miss three out of four Jumu’ah Salahs every month due to your employer’s restrictions.

If there is no possibility of acquiring time off for Jumu’ah Salah in your current job, then you will have to find an alternative job that would facilitate your Jumu’ah Salah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Arshad Ali

Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.