Riyadh — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has issued directives to imams of mosques to adhere to its guidelines that are issued in line with the religious edict (fatwa), pronounced by the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta. The fatwa based on the performance of the obligatory Friday prayer (Jumu'ah congregational prayer) in the event of Eid Al-Fitr coinciding with Friday. According to the fatwa, it is not obligatory to offer Friday prayer for those who attended the Eid prayer. "Whoever attends the Eid prayer, he is granted permission not to attend the Friday prayer, and he can offer Dhuhr prayer at the time of Dhuhr. Those who are determined to offer Jumu'ah prayer with others on Friday, they can pray and this is also the better option, the ministry said in a circular issued recently quoting the Ifta ruling. The committee ruled that if a person failed to offer the Eid prayer, he is not entitled to use this concession. It is obligatory for him to offer Jumu'ah prayer and there will be concession only if there is not the sufficient number of the faithful to hold the Friday prayer. In such case, he must pray Dhuhr prayer. According to the guidelines, imam of the mosque where Juma prayer is held must perform the Friday prayer on that day. If there is not the sufficient number of worshipers present for the Friday prayer, Dhuhr prayer shall be offered. The ministry noted that whoever attends the Eid prayer and not attending the Jumu'ah prayer, he should pray Dhuhr prayer at its time. It also instructed that the call to prayer (adhan) is not prescribed except in the mosques where the Friday prayer is held. The call to prayer is not prescribed for the Dhuhr prayer that day. The Ifta ruled that that the saying that the Jumu'ah prayer and the Dhuhr prayer are not required to perform for those who offer the Eid prayer is incorrect and wrong, saying emphatically that it is contrary to the Tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and is in fact dropping one of the obligatory rituals ordained by God without any substantial evidence. It is obligatory for those who attended the Eid prayer to offer Dhuhr prayer if not the Jumu'ah prayer, the ministry's circular said while citing the fatwa of the committee.
