Offering Friday Prayers in one Place, the Best

The eminent Islamic scholar, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid, termed ‘gathering of Muslims in one place’ the philosophy of the Friday prayers in Islam in his sermon of March, 20, 2015.
Talking to tens of thousands worshippers in Zahedan, southeastern Iran, he said, “The Friday prayers are very important in Islam. As Muslims migrated to Madinah, the Friday prayers became obligatory. They couldn’t offer prayers in congregation properly in Makkah before migration.”
“Islam enjoins Muslims to offer five-time daily prayers in Masjids of towns in congregations. The beloved prophet, peace be upon him, ordered Muslims to establish Masjids in different towns of Madinah for five-time daily prayers, but for Friday prayers all of the Muslims used to gather in Masjid-un-Nabi. So the best choice is offering Friday prayers in one place in any city.”
Expressing his views on the philosophy of the Friday prayers, the rector of Darululoom Zahedan said, “The Friday prayers have been obligated to gather Muslims in one place. So is not recommended to establish grand Masjids in every town of a city. Worshippers should work hard and withstand distances.”
“Establishing Friday prayers in different towns is not in accordance with the way of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Last Messenger and his companions are the best examples for us in every aspects of life. In the era of the Guided Caliphs and early ages of Islam the Friday prayer used to be established in one place in any city. Even sometimes they used to offer Friday prayers in shifts alternatively. But the prophet never said Muslims to offer Friday prayers in various towns of Madinah or their own villages and sectors.”
He added more, “It is a wrong idea to allow people to establish many grand Masjids just because of long distance. While people go to markets and different offices for their personal works day and night in various towns of the city; why not to gather in one place? For getting the pleasure of Allah we must endure difficulties.”
“It is a clear point that people want their ease only when it is concerned with their religion. We see Friday prayers in one particular place in metropolises like Tehran and Mashhad, but there are some small cities in our province with dozens of grand Masjids. Plurality of grand Masjids in any city is the sign of decadence and backward of nations culturally. Gathering of Muslims for Friday prayers is a reason for their power and benefit in the both worlds,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid further said.
He pointed out that Muslim jurists had allowed people to establish Friday prayers in more than one place just due to some obstacles and excuses. Otherwise the best choice is the Friday prayers only in one place.
At the end of his speech, Mawlana Abdol-Hamid, the outstanding Iranian Sunni leader alluded to the demise of the president Rouhani’s mother expressing his condolences with the president and his family members.
Source: abdolhamid.net