I work in a factory five days per week (Monday-Friday) on the day shift. My boss will not allow me to pray the Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer in the mosque. He also does not accept my explanation that as a Muslim I must do so, and demands other proof. What can I tell him and what proof can you give me?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

All the scholars of Islam are agreed unanimously that the Friday prayer is an individual obligation which must be performed by Muslims and that it is two Rak’as.

The evidence for this verdict is that Allah Says (what means): {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 and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.} [Quran 62:9]

The Muslim should never miss any Friday prayer except for an excuse accepted by the Sharee’ah, such as travel, or sickness, or when the rain is pouring.

So, any Muslim who misses it without such an excuse commits a sin and puts himself in a great danger as warned by the Prophet .

Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said about those who miss the Friday prayer: "Certainly, I was about to order the prayer to be established and command a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go and burn the houses of those who stayed away from al-Jumu'ah." [Ahmad and Muslim]

In another Hadeeth Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: "Those who are not attending the Friday prayer should change their ways; otherwise, Allah, the Exalted, will seal their hearts and they will be reckoned the heedless." [Muslim; it was also reported by Ahmad and an-Nasaa'i from Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas]

The scholars explained that those who must perform the Friday prayer are "any Muslims, not enslaved, sane, mature, resident, and able to reach the mosque, must pray the Friday prayer." And you fit into this category. So, you should pray the Friday prayer and your employer should take into account what your religion orders you to do.

Allah knows best.