297 - Issue: He said: "The Friday prayer is obligatory upon whoever is at a distance of a farsakh from the mosque."

This applies to those other than the inhabitants of the city. [As for the inhabitants of the city] (1), the Friday prayer is incumbent upon all of them, whether they are far or near. Ahmad said: As for the inhabitants of the city, they must inevitably attend it, whether they hear the call or not. This is because the city itself was built for the Friday prayer, so there is no difference between the near and the far. Furthermore, a city is rarely larger than a farsakh, so it (2) is in the position of being "near," and thus this is considered. This is the view of the proponents of Ra'y (reasoned opinion), and a similar view is held by al-Shafi'i. As for those who are not inhabitants of the city, whoever is at a distance of a farsakh or less from the mosque, the Friday prayer is upon him; if he is further than that, there is no Friday prayer upon him. A similar view was narrated from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, and it is the view of Malik and al-Layth. It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that he said: The Friday prayer is upon whoever hears the call. This is the view of al-Shafi'i and Ishaq, based on what 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The Friday prayer is upon whoever hears the call." Recorded by Abu Dawud (3). The most likely case is that this is the statement of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr. [It is also] because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the blind man who said: "I have no guide to lead me": "Do you hear the call?" He said: "Yes." He replied: "Then answer it" (4). Also, because whoever hears the call is included in the generality of the statement of Allah the Almighty: {O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah} (5). It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar, Abu Hurayrah, Anas, al-Hasan, Nafi', 'Ikrimah, al-Hakam, 'Ata', and al-Awza'i that they said: The Friday prayer is upon whoever is overtaken by the night while with his family, based on what Abu Hurayrah narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The Friday prayer is upon whoever is overtaken by the night while with his family" (6). The proponents of Ra'y said: There is no Friday prayer upon whoever is outside the city;