Offering Jumu`ah Prayer on two floors due to lack of space in the Masjid

(Part No. 8; Page No. 262) Offering Jumu`ah Prayer on two floors due to lack of space in of the Masjid Fatwa no. 2369 Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, his family and Companions.The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has read the Fatwa request submitted by His Honor the Secretary General of the Muslim World League to His Honor the President, which was referred by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, no. 238/3, dated 1/2/1399 A.H. It states the following:I received a letter from His Honor Dr. `Abdul-`Alim Khaldun Al-Kinany, the League Bureau Manager in Paris, which informs that a number of Masjids (mosques) where the Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer is held in Paris and other towns are few, in addition to their being narrow and inadequate for the number of worshippers.In order to solve this problem that prevents many people from offering the Jumu`ah Prayer in France, it was suggested that the Jumu`ah Prayer be offered on two different times, each with a separate Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer). He would like to inquire about the ruling on this solution which is suggested out of necessity.Please issue a legal Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) concerning this issue, so that we may respond.

(Part No. 8; Page No. 263) The Committee gave the following answer: Offering the Jumu`ah Prayer twice in the same Masjid has no precedence in Shari`ah (Islamic law). The original ruling is offering one Jumu`ah Prayer in the town, unless there is a legitimate excuse, such as people living great distances from the Masjid, the narrowness of the first Masjid, or a similar excuse. In this case, another Jumu`ah Prayer is offered in a suitable place. The questioners should seek another place to offer the Jumu`ah Prayer, even if it is not a Masjid, such as a house, a garden, or a public square where the officials allow the Jumu`ah Prayer to be held.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.