Ruling on performing Jumu`ah Prayer on the part of the moving scouts

Fatwa no. 16569 All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Last of the Prophets. To proceed:The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has read the question submitted to His Eminence, the Grand Mufty, from the educational manager in the region of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the Head of Public Service Camps, no. 52/S, on Dhul-Hijjah 3, 1414 A.H.. The manager asked the following question:We hope Your Eminence will give us a Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) regarding this issue: The Saudi Arabian Scouts Association holds each year, during the period from Dhul-Hijjah 1 to Dhul-Hijjah 3 scout camps in Mina and `Arafat throughout the days of Hajj. The participants in these camps organize programs and activities in service of the pilgrims in Al-Masha`ir (Sacred sites where the rites of Hajj are performed: Mina, `Arafah and Muzdalifah). It is difficult to transport them all to the Masjids (mosques) where the Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayers are held, in addition to many other factors that prevent this. (Part No. 7; Page No. 62) Our question to Your Eminence is: Is it permissible for the student participants to offer the Jumu`ah Prayer inside their camps in Mina and `Arafat, bearing in mind that most of them are from outside Makkah Al-Mukarramah and are from different towns in the Kingdom?

Having studied the question, the Committee answered that it is not obligatory upon them to offer the Jum`ah Prayer, and it will not be valid if they perform it separately. This is because they are not residents in the place where the Jumu`ah Prayer is offered. They are to offer complete Zhuhr (Noon) Prayer without shortening it, unless they are in the state of Hajj but they should not combine the Salahs. This ruling applies unless there is a nearby Masjid in which the Jumu`ah Prayer is being established and they can perform it there. In this case, they are obligated to offer the Jumu`ah Prayer like other permanent residents, based upon the general meaning of the evidence reported in this regard.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.