Section
For those obliged to attend it, the Friday prayer takes the place of the noon prayer; for those not obliged to attend it, it suffices in place of the noon prayer. Its time is therefore the time of the noon prayer. According to one view, it extends until the sun turns yellow; according to another, until enough time remains after completing it to perform the four rakʿahs of the afternoon prayer before sunset; and according to another, until enough time remains to perform one rakʿah of the afternoon prayer. Yet another view holds that its time extends until sunset, even if the afternoon prayer is not performed until after the sun has set.
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There is disagreement over when setting out for it becomes obligatory. One view holds that this is when the sun passes its zenith; another, when the muezzin gives the call to prayer. This disagreement stems solely from the disagreement over whether attending the sermon is obligatory. Those who regard attending the sermon as an individual obligation require a person to set out as soon as the sun passes its zenith so that he can attend it. Those who do not regard attending the sermon as an individual obligation do not require him to set out until the call to prayer, since it is known that if he waits until the muezzin gives the call before setting out, he will miss all or part of the sermon.
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This applies to someone who lives near the place where the Friday prayer is held. As for someone who lives farther away and cannot attend the sermon or the prayer unless he sets out before the sun passes its zenith, he must set out at a time when he considers it most likely that he will catch the sermon and the prayer, in accordance with the differing opinions on the matter.
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The maximum distance from which a person is obliged to come to the Friday prayer is one farsakh, which is three miles. In al-Mudawwana, he said: “Even if it is slightly farther, I consider him obliged to attend.” In the report transmitted by Ashhab, he said: “Three miles or less.” In the report transmitted by ʿAlī ibn Ziyād from Mālik, he said: [three miles], because that is