Offering Jumu`ah Prayer for a traveler

(Part No. 8; Page No. 205)  Performing Jumu`ah Prayer for a traveler Fatwa no. 967 What is the ruling on performing Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer in camps on guard in certain places? Although such camps are equipped with buildings and tents almost like ordinary villages, people in these camps move around and switch places with each other. They have always performed Jumu`ah Prayer in such camps. This continued until some knowledge seekers disagreed with them and denied their right to perform Jumu`ah Prayer, while others permitted them to do so, which caused confusion for the people living in the said camps, who did not know which opinion they should adopt?

A: Residence has certain rulings and so does travel. As for Jumu`ah Prayer, it is to be performed as two Rak`ahs (units of Prayer) in residence and four Rak`ahs as ordinary Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer for those who take the ruling of travelers. Since His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim (may Allah be merciful to him) has issued a general Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) for the soldiers guarding the borders of the country regarding whether it is permissible for them to shorten and combine Salahs (Prayers) or not, the Committee has read this Fatwa and deems it as the answer for this inquiry, since the Fatwa includes the answer. Here is the text of the Fatwa:A resident has to perform Salah complete whereas a traveler has to shorten it. As for one's stay upon a journey, it falls into two types: (Part No. 8; Page No. 206) First: A stay wherein a traveler remains without intending to stay for a fixed number of days. Rather, this depends upon achieving their purpose without knowing when it will be fulfilled to return home. In this case, the traveler is permitted to make use of the Rukhsah (concession) of shortening Salah as well as the other Rukhsahs legislated for travelers during their stay, regardless of whether it extends for many or just a few days. This is based on the fact that it is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued - in Makkah during the year of the peaceful victory of Makkah - to shorten Salah for nineteen days. He (peace be upon him) also remained in Tabuk for twenty days during which he would shorten Salah. Scholars stated that during each of the abovementioned stays the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not intend to reside their. The same applies to what was reported regarding that `Abdullah ibn `Umar remained in Azerbaijan for six months besieged with ice during which time he continued to shorten Salah.Second: The travel intends to stay for a fixed number of days during which he does not intend to return back home. This falls into two categories:The first category: Their stay extends for four days or less. As for this type of travelers, the proof indicates that they may make use of the Rukhsahs of traveling, whether the Rukhsah pertaining to shortening Salah or the other Rukhsahs. This is based on the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would shorten Salah during his stay in Makkah in the Farewell Hajj from the time he entered it on the fourth day of Dhul-Hijjah until he left it for Mina on the eighth day. There is no doubt that he intended to stay for this period.The second category has to do with travelers whose stay extends for more than four days. As for this category, (Part No. 8; Page No. 207) there is disagreement among Scholars regarding the ruling pertaining to them. Some Scholars opined that it is permissible for them to make use of the Rukhsah of shortening Salah as well as the other Rukhsahs legislated for travelers. They presented as their proof the abovementioned narration that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would shorten Salah in Makkah in the year of the peaceful victory of Makkah, as well as during the battle of Tabuk. The Prophet would shorten Salah during the period of his stay that extended for more than four days.Other Scholars opined that it is impermissible for the travelers of this category to shorten Salah. They presented as their proof what we have previously mentioned regarding that residents have to perform Salah in full. It is only permissible to shorten Salah for those travelers who intend to stay for four days or less, since this is authentically reported to have been done by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Farewell Hajj. If a traveler intends to stay more than four days, there is no authentic proof regarding which there is Ijma` (consensus of scholars) that they may shorten Salah. If a conclusion is built on possibilities, it is invalid. Here we should refer to the original ruling that entails the completion of Salah.What we opine regarding this issue is to be prudent and state that the persons you mentioned are not permitted to benefit from the Rukhsahs legislated for traveling because they intended to stay for a whole year.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.