If a person intends to travel for more then 77km he will be considered a Musaafir and Jumuah Salaah will no longer remain compulsory upon him1. The purpose of travel is not considered when classifying one as a Musaafir. Similarly, the purpose of travel does not affect the concessions such a person enjoys whilst being a Musaafir 2. The reason for this is that the Nass in which such concessions are found are Mutlaq3.The Fuqaha have explained that even if a person travels the Safr distance to fulfil some Haraam objective then too, he will still be regarded as a Musaafir and the concessions of Safr will still apply to him.

Unnecessarily undertaking a journey on the day of Jumuah by which one intentionally forgoes his Jumuah Salaah is unbecoming of a believer especially after knowing the many rewards attached to it. Hadhrat Mufti Yusuf Ludyanwi  was asked regarding a Muslim, who is careless of jumuah Salaah and despite knowing that it is the day of Jumuah, still travels for hunting etc., i.e. he makes his Jumuah Salaah Qadhaa intentionally. To this Mufti Saheb replied “Leaving out Jumuah is an evil action, however if a person leaves the city in the morning for a distant place, then upon such a person Jumuah will not be Fardh”4.

A point to remember is that the Fuqaha have permitted traveling on the day of Jumuah however, if a person intends to make Safr he should do so before Zawaal on the day of Jumuah as traveling after Zawaal without staying for Jumuah is classified as Makrooh5.

AND ALLAH TA'AALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST

ANSWERED BY: Ebrahim Patel

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:  Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B. 

Islamic Date: 29 Safar 1440  English Date: 8 November 2018