and invalid as well. Accordingly, none of the legal effects of a sale follow from it: the buyer may not dispose of the purchased item, because he has not acquired ownership of it; nor may the seller dispose of the specified payment, because he has not acquired ownership of it. This is a serious matter, for some people may buy and sell after the second call to prayer for Friday, then take possession of what they purchased on the assumption that it belongs to them.
The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that this ruling applies even to matters connected with the Friday prayer itself. For example, if someone purchases water for ablution after the second call to prayer for Friday, is this valid or not? The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that it is not valid, since he made no exception. With the statements of scholars, we must take their apparent meaning and then clarify what is correct. Is this apparent meaning intended by the author, or did he omit the exception for brevity? Such matters are examined as follows: if the issue is one upon which the scholars are agreed, then the author undoubtedly omitted it for brevity, since he would not depart from consensus. But if the issue is disputed, this indicates that the author has chosen the other view, which makes no exception.
In fact, however, an exception is made for what is connected to the prayer. Thus, if a person is not in a state of ablution and finds someone who is not legally accountable, or someone upon whom the Friday prayer is not obligatory, then he may buy water from him in order to perform ablution, because this is connected with that prayer.
If it is said: “But the verse is general: ‘and leave off trade,’” the answer is: Yes, the verse is general. But we say: What is the wisdom behind prohibiting trade? It is to safeguard the prayer. This is why He said: “Proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade.” Part of safeguarding it is that we fulfil its obligatory requirements, and this person is able to obtain water and perform ablution.