with four; because it is a number that exceeds the minimum of an absolute plural, resembling forty. Rabiah said: It is valid with twelve men; because it was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he wrote to Mus'ab ibn Umayr in Medina, and ordered him to pray the Friday prayer at the time of the sun's meridian passage as two rak'ahs, and to deliver a sermon during them. Mus'ab ibn Umayr held the Friday prayer in the house of Sa'd ibn Khaythamah with twelve men (7). From Jabir, he said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on a Friday, when a caravan arrived. The people went out towards it, and none remained except twelve men, myself among them, so Allah the Almighty revealed: "But when they see a transaction or a diversion, they disperse toward it and leave you standing" (8), until the end of the verse. Narrated by Muslim (9). That which is stipulated for the commencement is also stipulated for the continuation. As for our evidence, it is what Ka'b ibn Malik narrated, saying: The first to lead us in the Friday prayer was As'ad ibn Zurarah, in the depression (hazm) of the Nabit (10), in the rocky volcanic terrain (harrah) of Banu Bayadah (11), in a basin (naqi') known as Naqi' al-Khadamat (12). I said to him: How many were you on that day? He said: Forty. Narrated by Abu Dawud (13) and al-Athram. Khusayf narrated from Ata', from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, who said: It has become a Sunnah that for every forty and more, there is a Friday prayer. Narrated by
(7) Al-Bayhaqi narrated something similar to it, in: Chapter on the number of people who, if they are in a village, the Friday prayer becomes obligatory upon them, from the Book of Friday Prayer. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 3/179. (8) Surah al-Jumu'ah, 11. (9) In: Chapter on His (the Almighty) saying: "But when they see a transaction or a diversion..." from the Book of Friday Prayer. Sahih Muslim 2/590. It was also narrated by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on if the people disperse from the Imam during the Friday prayer..., from the Book of Friday Prayer, and in: Chapter on the saying of Allah the Almighty: "But when they see a transaction or a diversion..." and the chapter: "But when they see a transaction or a diversion..." from the Book of Transactions, and in: Interpretation of Surah al-Jumu'ah, from the Book of Interpretation. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/16, 3/71, 73, 6/189. And by al-Tirmidhi, in: Interpretation of Surah al-Jumu'ah, from the Chapters on Interpretation. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 12/199. (10) Al-Hazm: The leveled ground, and al-Nabit: A paternal clan in Yemen, his name is 'Amr ibn Malik. (11) Al-Harrah: The land with black stones. And Banu Bayadah: A sub-tribe of the Ansar. (12) Al-Naqi': A place near Medina where water used to pool, meaning gather. Al-Khadamat: A place in the vicinity of Medina. (13) Narrated by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on Friday prayer in villages, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/246. And Ibn Majah, in: Chapter on the obligation of the Friday prayer, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/343.
