What If Eid Falls on a Friday?

From time to time, Eid prayer coincides with Friday prayer on the same day. People then differ: some say that whoever performs Eid prayer is no longer required to attend Friday prayer, while others say that Eid prayer does not replace Friday prayer. So what is the correct Islamic ruling on this issue? And what did our early jurists say about it?

The Ruling on Eid and Friday Coinciding in Islam

Scholars have three main opinions on this matter, as follows:

First Opinion: Eid Does Not Replace Friday Prayer

The Hanafi and Maliki schools hold that if Eid and Friday coincide, neither replaces the other. Friday prayer remains obligatory for those required to attend it, even if they have already performed Eid prayer—whether they live in the city or in surrounding areas.

The scholar Ibn `Abdin stated in his commentary regarding the coincidence of Eid and Friday: “As for our school, both remain obligatory,” and he transferred from Al-Hidayah that they are two Eids that occur on the same day, and neither should be dropped. ⁽¹⁾

Imam Ad-Dusuqi Al-Maliki also said in his commentary on Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer: “If Eid coincides with Friday, it is not permissible for one who attended Eid to abstain from Friday prayer, whether he resides in the city or outside it.” ⁽²⁾

Second Opinion: Friday Prayer Drops for Nearby Villages

The Shafi`i school holds that Friday prayer does not drop for residents of the city who performed Eid prayer. However, it may drop for those living in nearby villages or outskirts who are normally required to attend Friday prayer, for hearing the calling for prayer—provided that:

• They came to the city intending to perform Eid prayer
• They leave before the time of Friday prayer begins

If they remain until the time of Friday prayer enters, then it becomes obligatory upon them.

As for those living in distant villages who are not required to attend Friday prayer due to distance to the extent they do not hear the call of prayer, then Friday prayer remains obligatory upon them in their own homeland if its conditions are fulfilled.

Imam Shams Ar-Ramli said in Nihayat Al-Muhtaj: “If Eid coincides with Friday, and the people of the village who can hear the call to prayer attend the Eid prayer, then they are permitted to return before the Friday prayer, and it is waived for them—even if they are close enough to it, hear the call, and would be able to attend it if they returned. The implication of this reasoning is that if they did not attend (i.e., if they performed the Eid prayer in their own locality), then Friday prayer would be obligatory upon them—and that is indeed the case. This ruling applies as long as the time of Friday prayer has not entered before they depart. However, if its time begins immediately after they finish the Eid prayer, then they are not permitted to forgo it, as the Shaykh has concluded.”

Ash-Shabramalsi commented in his commentary on An-Nihayah: “This applies when they came with the intention of attending Eid prayer. But if they came for trade or other reasons, then Friday prayer does not drop from them whether they return or not.” ⁽⁴⁾

Third Opinion: Friday Attendance Drops but Obligation Remains

The Hanbalis hold that if Eid occurs on a Friday, then attendance at Friday prayer is waived for those who attended the Eid prayer with the Imam on that day—this is a waiver of attendance, not of obligation.

This means that whoever attends Friday prayer after having performed Eid becomes obligated to pray it through his attendance, and it is validly established through him. He is like a sick person (for whom attendance may be excused), not like a traveler (from whom the obligation is lifted entirely).

If he does not attend Friday prayer, then he must perform the Dhuhr prayer.

As for those who did not perform Eid with the Imam, or performed it after, Friday prayer remains obligatory upon them. Thus, if he dropped Eid he must attend Friday prayer.

The regular Imam must still establish Friday prayer. If a sufficient number attend, even if they were the ones attended Eid prayer with him, he leads it; otherwise, they perform Dhuhr prayer. ⁽⁵⁾

Why Scholars Differed on Eid and Friday Prayer

The difference among scholars stems from their different interpretations of certain hadiths on this issue:

1.      The hadith of Abu Hurairah: “Two `Eid have come together on this day of yours. So whoever wants, that (the `Eid prayer) will suffice him, and he will not have to pray Friday, but we will pray Friday if Allah wills.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah)

2.     The narration of Zayd Ibn Arqam: Mu`awiyah asked him: “Did you offer along with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the Friday and `Eid prayers synchronized on the same day?” He said: “Yes. He offered the Eid prayer, then granted concession to offer the Friday prayer, and said: If anyone wants to offer it, he may offer” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, and Ahmad)

3.     Al-Bukhari narrated with his chain from Abu `Ubayd, the freed slave of Ibn Azhar, that he witnessed `Eid Al-Adha with `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). He prayed before the khutbah, then addressed the people, saying: “O people, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden you from fasting on these two days: one is the day of your breaking your fast, and the other is the day you eat from your sacrifices.”
Abu `Ubayd said: Then I witnessed `Eid with `Uthman Ibn `Affan, and it happened to be on a Friday. He prayed before the khutbah, then said: “O people, this is a day on which two `Eids have come together. So, whoever of those who live at Al-`Awali would like to wait for the Jumua prayer, he may wait, and whoever would like to return (home) Is granted my permission to do so.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari (1910), Ahmad (228), and Malik (437)).

The Hanafis and Malikis state that the established principle, based on decisive proofs from the Quran and the Sunnah, is that Friday prayer is obligatory upon the one legally responsible (mukallaf) and does not drop. As for the hadiths that mention its being waived for those upon whom it is due when Eid falls on the same day, they consider them weak. Even if their authenticity were assumed, they would not specify or override the definitive ruling of the Quran, because they are solitary reports (ahad).

They interpret the permission given by `Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) to the people of the outskirts to mean that those villagers were among those upon whom Friday prayer was not obligatory, as the call to prayer did not reach them. This is also an opinion within the Shafi`i school. According to this view, the benefit of granting them permission was to remove any dislike (karahah), since if they came to the city on a normal Friday (outside of Eid), it would be disliked for them to leave before performing Friday prayer.

The Shafi`is, however, took the apparent meaning of `Uthman’s hadith—his permission for the people of the outskirts who were close to the city and normally required to attend Friday prayer—so that the benefit of this concession would be clear in allowing them to forgo Friday prayer. As for the hadith of Abu Hurairah, they respond by saying it is weak, as stated by some scholars, or that it should be interpreted in light of `Uthman’s hadith—meaning it applies specifically to the people of the villages.

As for the Hanbalis, they adopted the apparent meaning of the hadiths of Abu Hurairah, Zayd, Ibn `Abbas, and others, which indicate that Friday prayer is waived for those who attended Eid prayer—whether from the city or the outskirts. They used these hadiths to specify the general texts that establish the obligation of Friday prayer, whether Eid coincides or not. In their view, these hadiths are authentic due to being reported through multiple chains. Imam An-Nawawi noted that the chain of the hadith of Zayd is sound and was not deemed weak by Abu Dawud. They also argue that a solitary report (ahad) can specify a general text, because the indication of a general text is probabilistic, not definitive, and thus it can be specified by what is also probabilistic.

Summary of the Scholarly Opinions

All scholars agree that whoever misses Eid prayer must attend Friday prayer.

Thus, the difference of opinion lies only in whether Friday prayer is waived for those who already performed Eid prayer—and this is where the three well-known schools differ.

• The Hanafis and Malikis: Friday prayer does not drop at all.
• The Shafi`is: It drops only for nearby villagers under conditions.
• The Hanbalis: Attendance drops for those who prayed Eid, but the obligation remains.

For Further Reading:

• Your Simple Guide to Zakat Al-Fitr
• 5 Things to Avoid During Eid
• How to Maintain Your Faith After Ramadan?

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Footnotes:

1. Hashiyat Radd Al-Muhtar `Ala Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar, Sharh Tanwir Al-Absar, Muhammad Amin, known as Ibn Abidin (2/166).
2. Hashiyat Ad-Dasuqi `Ala Ash-Sharh Al-Kabir, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Arafa Ad-Dasuqi Al-Maliki (1/391).
3. Nihayat Al-Muhtaj Ila Sharh Al-Minhaj, Shams Ad-Din Muhammad Ibn Abi Al-Abbas Ahmad Ibn Hamzah Shihab Ad-Din Al-Ramli (2/290).
4. Hashiyat Ash-Shabramalsi, Ash-Shaykh Ibrahim Ash-Shabramalsi (2/290).
5. Sharh Muntaha Al-Iradat, Mansur Ibn Yunus Ibn Idris Al-Buhuti (1/318).

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