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Q 1: Some people leave Al-Madinah to work in agriculture. They stay there each year to work for a period of time that is not less than two months and they find it difficult to return to Al-Madinah to offer Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer during that period. Is performing Jumu`ah Prayer obligatory on them, or optional, and are they not allowed to perform it at their work place or do they have to offer it in Al-Madinah regardless of the difficulty they might encounter, or they are exempted from offering it just like travelers? What is the period of time that if they stay at their place of work they will be exempted them from offering Jumu`ah Prayer?

A: If they are residents in the farms where they work, it is obligatory on this group of people mentioned in the question to offer Jumu`ah Prayer with them or with any other people they find it possible to pray with. The foregoing is supported by the generality of the proofs for the obligation of performing Jumu`ah Prayer and proceeding with it.However, if the workers in these farms can hear the Adhan (call to Prayer) for Jumu`ah Prayer from their town or any other town around their farms; it is obligatory on them to proceed to offer it with the Muslim community based on the generality of the Qur'anic text: O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salât (prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allâh [Jumu‘ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salât (prayer)] Finally, if there are no residents in these farms and no Adhan for Jumu`ah Prayer can be heard from the nearby towns; such people are exempted from performing Jumu`ah Prayer and they have only to pray Zhuhr (noon) Prayer in congregation. (Part No. 8; Page No. 222) This is because Al-Madinah used to have tribes and farms at its borders during the era of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but he did not command the people of these tribes and farms to proceed with the performance of Jumu`ah Prayer. Had the Prophet (peace be upon him) done so it would have been narrated from him and thus, it would have been an indication that Jumu`ah Prayer is not obligatory on such people so as to avoid difficulty.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.