Performing Juma and Eid salaah in a home.
Q. What is the Fatwah regarding the Friday Salaah being conducted at the home of someone as well as the Eid-ul Adha Salah whilst there is a functional and existing Masjid in the area? The area I refer to is Tacarigua. The former imam of the masjid has begun performing Friday Salah in congregation as well as the Eid Salah at the home of someone in the area. This confuses the muslims in our area and has raised some concerns. We will appreciate your advice regarding this matter as well as the ruling on this matter.
A. It is not permissible for Juma or Eid Salaah to be conducted at the home of someone when there is a functional and existing masjid in the area. The Juma and Eid Salaah are required to be performed in an open area, accessible to the masses (of the Muslims) where general permission has been granted at all times, for Muslims to come to this place when the call to prayer is made loudly and openly (from this place). This, in reality, takes place in a Masjid or in an open area known as a ‘Musalla’ or ‘Eidgah’. In the presence of these, no one is allowed to perform Juma or Eid in the private chamber of his home. Hence, based on your information, Juma and Eid Salaah would not be valid, in the above mentioned case, when it is in the proximity of a Masjid which has established the Juma Salaah every Friday, and the two Eid Salaah every year.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan