What is the ruling on missing the Friday prayer due to sleep?

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Friday is a day of ‘Eed for Muslims. It contains this blessed prayer in which people gather to listen to the words of Allaah and His Messenger that benefit them and remind them of their Lord. Allaah The Almighty Made it obligatory upon every male who is free (i.e. not a slave), adult, in full possession of his mental faculties, resident and physically able. Allaah The Almighty also encouraged early attendance to it. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever takes a bath of Janaabah and then goes for the prayer (in the first hour i.e. early), it is as if he had sacrificed a camel; and whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he had sacrificed a cow; and whoever goes…" [Al-Bukhari, Muslim Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa‘i and At-Tirmithi] The Muslim should be keen on preserving this great good and ample reward. He should also avoid anything that may cause him to miss it or expose him to severe punishment. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "People must cease to neglect the Friday prayer or Allaah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the heedless." [Muslim]. If a Muslim needs to sleep before the Friday prayer or any other prayer and fears missing it, he should utilize all means possible to wake up and pray on time. For example, he may ask a trustworthy person to wake him up or place an alarm clock near his head so as not to be negligent. Then, if sleep overtakes him in spite of utilizing the sufficient means and taking the necessary precautions, he is not held sinful, for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "There is no negligence in sleep." [Muslim]

Allaah Knows best.