❖ Ruling on Zuhr Prayer When Eid and Jumu‘ah Coincide
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Is Zuhr Prayer Required If Eid Falls on Friday?
There is no need for Zuhr prayer either.
❖ Narration of Imam ʿAtā’ (رحمه الله)
It is reported from Imam ʿAtā’ (رحمه الله):
اجتمع يوم جمعة ويوم فطر على عهد ابن الزبير فقال عيدان اجتمعا فى يوم واحد فجمعهما جميعا فصلاهما ركعتين بكرة لم يزدد عليهما حتى صلى العصر
“During the caliphate of Ibn al-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه), once Jumu‘ah and Eid al-Fitr occurred on the same day. He said: ‘Two Eids have coincided on the same day.’ He combined both into a single prayer and performed two rakʿahs in the morning, offering nothing more until he performed the ʿAsr prayer.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawud: 947; also Abu Dawud: 1072]
❖ Explanation by Al-Shawkani (رحمه الله)
Al-Shawkani (رحمه الله) states:
✔ The apparent meaning of this narration is that Ibn al-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) did not perform the Zuhr prayer, and it also indicates that:
✔ If for any reason Jumu‘ah becomes excused or dropped, then Zuhr is also not obligatory upon the one for whom Jumu‘ah was excused.
✔ Imam ʿAtā’ (رحمه الله) also supported this view.
He adds that:
➤ It is known that the obligation placed upon the servants of Allah on Friday is specifically the Jumu‘ah prayer.
➤ Therefore, proving the obligation of Zuhr upon one who missed Jumu‘ah — with or without excuse — requires clear evidence, and to the best of my knowledge, there is no authentic proof for it.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 2/578, maʿnā wa mafhūmā]
❖ Observation by Al-Amīr al-Ṣanʿānī (رحمه الله)
➊ Al-Amīr al-Ṣanʿānī (رحمه الله) remarks that:
It is not hidden that Imam ʿAtā’ (رحمه الله) narrated that Ibn al-Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) did not come out for Jumu‘ah, but this alone does not constitute definitive evidence that he did not perform any prayer at home.
Hence, it cannot be conclusively said that his opinion was that Zuhr is not required — as it is possible he may have prayed it privately.
➋ Moreover, Imam ʿAtā’ (رحمه الله) supports this further by saying:
انهم صلوا وحدانا
“The people offered the prayer individually,”
— and it is agreed upon that Jumu‘ah is valid only in congregation.
(This implies they prayed Zuhr, not Jumu‘ah.)
➌ Claiming that Jumu‘ah is the primary obligation on Friday and Zuhr is a substitute is a weak opinion.
Rather, the original obligation, as ordained on the night of Isrā’, was Zuhr.
Jumu‘ah was legislated later, and:
➤ It is an agreed-upon matter that when Jumu‘ah is missed, Zuhr must be performed.
So, Jumu‘ah is the substitute for Zuhr, not the other way around.
[Subul al-Salām: 2/646]
❖ Commentary by Shams al-Ḥaqq ʿAẓīmābādī (رحمه الله)
Shams al-Ḥaqq ʿAẓīmābādī (رحمه الله) agrees with the interpretation of al-Amīr al-Ṣanʿānī (رحمه الله).
[ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd: 3/288]
✅ Final (Rajih) Opinion
✔ The concession on the day of Eid applies to Jumu‘ah,
✖ but not to the Zuhr prayer.
