What is the ruling on missing the Friday prayer due to severe cold and heavy rainfall? On some winter days, the cold can be quite intense, and occasionally, heavy rainfall leads to the streets being inundated with mud and sludge. Given these circumstances, is it permissible to miss the Friday prayer?

It is permissible to miss the Friday prayer if rain creates mud that makes it difficult to join the congregation at the mosque, or in cases of extreme and unbearable cold, both of which are excuses recognized by Islamic law. In such an instance, one should pray the dhuhr prayer consisting of four rakʿahs in lieu of the Friday prayer.

The obligation of attending the Friday prayer and the prohibition against abstaining from it without a legally valid excuse

The Friday prayer is one of the rites of Islam. It is obligatory upon every free, adult, sane, and healthy Muslim who is a resident. Anyone who fails to attend without a legitimate excuse incurs a sin. Textual evidence from both the Quran and Sunnah confirm the obligation of attending Friday prayer. Allah Almighty says, “O you who have believed, when the call is made for prayer on the day of Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade. That is better for you if you only knew. And when the prayer is concluded, disperse within the land and seek the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often so that you may succeed” (Quran, 62:9-10).

Ṭariq Ibn Shihab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated in a marfu’ hadith [a hadith attributed directly to the Prophet] that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The Friday prayer in congregation is a duty upon every Muslim with the exception of four [categories of individuals]: a slave, a woman, a child, and a sick person” (reported by Abu Dawud in his Sunnan, noting that Tariq Ibn Shihab saw the Prophet but did not hear directly from him). This hadith affirms the obligation to attend Friday prayer, indicating that no one is exempted from attending it without a legally valid excuse.

The extent to which rain and severe cold are considered valid excuses for missing Friday prayer

Islamic law recognizes heavy rain that impedes access to the mosque and intolerable cold weather as valid excuses for missing the Friday prayer.  Imam al-Bukhari devoted a chapter in his Sahih titled “The dispensation for not attending the Friday prayer on account of rain,” and Imam Muslim dedicated a chapter titled “The permissibility of missing congregational prayer due to rain.”

Among the narrations pertaining to this issue is the report that says that Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) once called the adhan on a night of severe cold and strong winds and said, “Pray in your dwellings.” He then explained, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would instruct the muezzin to say on cold and rainy nights, ‘Pray in your dwellings’” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Similarly, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) instructed his muezzin to counsel the people to pray in their homes in inclement weather. He said, “When you say, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ do not say, ‘Come to prayer,’ rather say, ‘Pray in your homes.’” He (the narrator) said that it appeared as though the people disapproved of this, so he said, “Do you find this strange? One better than I has done the same. Friday prayer is indeed an obligation, but I was unwilling to cause you the hardship of walking through mud and slush” (Bukhari and Muslim; this version is reported in the wording of Imam Muslim).

Imam Ibn Rajab stated in Fath al-Bari (6/84) that the majority of scholars agree that rain and mud are valid reasons that allow for the absence from missing both the Friday and congregational prayers, whether by night or day. This is likewise the position of jurists of the four major schools of jurisprudence.

The Hanafi luminary, al-Shurnbulali, observed in Maraqi al-Falaḥ (p. 297), "Attendance at congregational prayers is waived on account of one of eighteen reasons: among them are rain, severe cold... and mud following the cessation of rainfall." Commenting on the above, the Ḥanafi scholar, al-Ṭaḥṭawi, said, "Its apparent meaning includes the congregational Friday prayer and the two Eids. Accordingly, the Friday prayer may be prayed as dhuhr and the Eid prayers are waived."

Discussing the valid excuses permitting absence from Friday prayers, the Maliki scholar, Shaykh al-Dardir, observed in Al-Sharḥ al-Kabir (1/389), "(A reason) that permits the omission of both Friday and [other] congregational prayers is sludge which leads ordinary members of the public to remove their footwear and heavy rain which compels them to cover their heads."

The Shafi’i scholar, Imam al-Nawawi, stated in Al-Majmu‘ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab (4/489) that the excuse that waives the obligation of congregational prayer, other than the Friday prayer, likewise waives the Friday prayer— except for wind during the night because it is unlikely. As for mud, the Khurasani scholars held three views. The sound opinion according to them and the categorical opinion according to Iraqi scholars is that the presence of mud constitutes a valid excuse for both Friday and congregational prayer.

According to the Hanbali scholar, Imam Ibn Qudamah, the observance of the Friday prayer is not obligatory for one whose path is impeded by rainfall that soaks the clothes or by mud that makes walking difficult. He argued that the Friday prayer is waived due to any excuse that waives the obligation of congregational prayer.

The above demonstrates that Islamic law recognizes severe cold or heavy rain as legitimate excuses that allow for the waiving of the obligation to perform both the Friday prayer and congregational prayers in the mosque. This ruling aims to reduce exposure to harm, difficulty, or potential danger as it is established in Islamic jurisprudence that hardship begets ease.

The obligation of a person who misses Friday prayer due to a legally recognized excuse

A person who is exempted from attending the Friday prayer due to a legally recognized excuse is to perform dhuhr prayer consisting of four rak’as in its stead. This is established by scholarly consensus.

The ruling

In light of the above, it is permissible to forgo the Friday prayer at the mosque due to inclement weather conditions, such as rain that creates and hinders attendance, or severe cold, both of which are recognized as legitimate reasons in Islamic law.  

And Allah Almighty knows best