Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/15)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

But the sound view is that, so long as a single name encompasses it, it is one town. Even if this town were to expand so that there were miles or farsakhs between its extremities, it would still be one locality: Friday Prayer would be obligatory upon one living at its farthest eastern end just as it is obligatory upon one living at its farthest western end; and likewise for the north and south, because it is one town.

“There is no more than a farsakh between him and the mosque.” …

His statement, “There is no more than a farsakh between him and the mosque,” is the sixth condition: there must not be more than a farsakh between a person and the mosque. As mentioned previously, a farsakh is three miles, and a mile is twelve thousand cubits. Accordingly, Friday Prayer is not obligatory upon someone who lives more than a farsakh away from the town—if he is outside the town. However, if the town is one unified settlement, then it is obligatory upon him, even if there are several farsakhs between him and the mosque.

Our scholars stated that travelling a farsakh takes an hour and a half when walking or riding camels, not when travelling by car. If there is more than a farsakh between him and the mosque, they said that it becomes obligatory upon him by virtue of others; that is, if Friday Prayer is established while he is in the town, he must attend it; otherwise, he is not required to do so. Thus, there are six conditions for Friday Prayer to be individually obligatory.

[If someone were to ask: What evidence is there for restricting this to a farsakh? The answer is that they say: generally, someone who is more than a farsakh away from the mosque will not hear the call to prayer. Some scholars, however, based the measure on hearing the adhan. Those who set it at a farsakh said that the adhan varies according to the voice of the muezzin, the winds, the elevation of the muezzin, and the quietness of surrounding sounds; therefore, it cannot be precisely determined, whereas a farsakh is a fixed measure. Thus, there is no textual proof for this; rather, it is an underlying rationale. The evidence indicated by the sunnah is hearing the adhan, based on the Prophet’s words, peace and blessings be upon him: “Do you hear the call?” He said, “Yes.” He replied, “Then respond.” (1)]

(1) Its source has been cited previously (4/122).

ولكن الصحيح أنه ما دام يشمله اسم واحد فهو بلد واحد، ولو فرض أن هذا البلد اتسع وصار بين أطرافه أميال أو فراسخ فهو وطن واحد تلزم الجمعة من بأقصاه الشرقي كما تلزم من بأقصاه الغربي، وهكذا الشمال والجنوب؛ لأنه بلد واحد. لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ المَسْجِدِ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ فَرْسَخٍ ........ قوله: «ليس بينه وبين المسجد أكثر من فرسخ». هذا الشرط السادس أي: ليس بين الإنسان وبين المسجد أكثر من فرسخ، والفرسخ سبق لنا: أنه ثلاثة أميال، والميل: اثنا عشر ألف ذراع، فعلى هذا لا يلزم الشخص الذي يكون بينه وبين البلد أكثر من فرسخ جمعة، هذا إذا كان خارج البلد، أما إذا كان البلد واحداً فإنه يلزمه، ولو كان بينه وبين المسجد فراسخ. وذكر علماؤنا أن مسيرة الفرسخ ساعة ونصف الساعة في سير الإبل والقدم، لا بسير السيارة؛ فإن كان بينه وبين المسجد أكثر من فرسخ قالوا: فإنها تلزمه بغيره أي: إن أقيمت الجمعة وهو في البلد لزمته وإلا فلا، فصارت الشروط ستة في وجوب الجمعة عيناً. [فإن قال قائل: ما الدليل على التقييد بالفرسخ؟ فالجواب: يقولون الغالب أن من كان بينه وبين المسجد أكثر من فرسخ فالغالب أنه لا يسمع النداء، مع أن بعض العلماء قدَّره بالأذان، والذين قدَّروه بالفرسخ قالوا: الأذان يختلف بحسب صوت المؤذن والرياح وارتفاع المؤذن وهدوء الأصوات، فلا يمكن انضباطه، والفرسخ منضبط، إذاً ليس هناك دليل بل هو تعليل، والدليل الذي دلت عليه السنة هو سماع الأذان؛ لقوله ﷺ: «هل تسمع النداء»؟ قال: نعم، قال: «فأجب» (١)].

(١) سبق تخريجه (٤/ ١٢٢).