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Fatwa CenterHis employer does not allow him to attend the Friday prayer
Question
salam alaykom i live in a kafir country and i was studying but me and my mother have decided that we want to return to our land so i stopped my studys and started working as a courier delivery driver and we need some money to pay off some debt and a riba debt which my mum took but my boss will not allow me to pray friday prayer and i feel i am falling into big sin if i miss juma'a prayer so i told my mum i want to leave and she started getting angry at me please sheikh help me i dont know what to do
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, you should know that it is forbidden for whoever is religiously required to perform the Friday prayer to neglect performing it unless he has a sound reason, like being sick or a traveler. In principle, a Muslim is obligated to attend the Friday prayer with the Muslims and it is not permissible for him to abandon it except if he has a sound reason. Indeed, there is a severe threat for a person who abandons the Friday prayer without a sound reason. The Prophet said: “People should stop neglecting the Friday prayers otherwise Allaah will seal their hearts and they will be among the heedless.” [Muslim]
Therefore, a person who works in this sector is obligated to inform his superiors that he should go to the Friday prayer, and then it is either they give him a break, or they may consider him absent and deduct the time of his absence from his salary. Indeed, many people who are sincere in tryin g to attend the Friday prayer have succeeded to combine between their work and attending the Friday prayer. In case the employer does not give the employee a permission to go for the Friday prayer, then it is not permissible for the employee to leave it due to work unless he is in necessity to do this job that prevents him from attending the Friday prayer in a way that he cannot find another job and he cannot earn his living and the living of those whom he is obligated to spend on without this job, in which case, it is permissible for him not to attend the Friday prayer because of the necessity and he should pray it as Thuhr prayer. The jurists 
stated that among the sound reasons that permit a man not to attend the Friday prayer is fearing to lose a considerable property or fearing to be harmed in earning his living that he is in need of. Al-Mardaawi 
from the Hanbali School of jurisprudence, said: “Among the sound reasons that permits a man not to attend the Friday prayer and the congregational prayer is fearing to be harmed in earning his living that he is in need of.” In this case, you are obligated to look for a job that does not conflict with the performance of the Friday prayer, and Allaah Says (what means): {And whoever fears Allaah - He Will Make for him a way out. And Will Provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allaah — then He is sufficient for him.}[Quran 65:2-3] Therefore, you should have more trust in what is in the Hands of Allaah and in His Promise rather than in what is in your hands or the hands of your mother. For more benefit on working at the time of the Friday prayer, please refer to Fataawa 83116 and 83127.
Moreover, you should ponder about the ruling of residing in that country as it is not permissible to reside in a non-Muslim country for whoever is not able to show the rites of his religion or fears temptation in his religion.
Finally, we draw the attention of your mother that borrowing money with Riba (interest and/or usury) is forbidden and that this is one of the grave major sins as clarified in Fatwa 86701, so she must repent to Allaah from that. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 86405 and 94103.
Allaah Knows best.
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