I'm a young man living in Brazil. We have an Imam. But some of the people who pray with him want me to pray instead of him especially Jumu'ah prayer because of the Khutbah. But I pray in another mosque. So, can I lead them in Jumu'ah prayer after having prayed in another mosque and with another Imam?

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.

No doubt that one of the main objectives of Sharee’ah is to unite the Muslims and strengthen their rows. So, Muslims should help one another, deal kindly with one another and, in one word, be like one body where all the organs suffer when any of them is hurt. This is why the inhabitants of each neighborhood should get together five times every day to pray in congregation and the inhabitants of every quarter should get together weekly (on Friday) to attend the Friday prayer. Then the Muslims living in the same area should get together twice yearly to pray the ‘Eed prayers, not to mention the great gathering where Muslims from all over the world get together to perform Hajj. So, Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer aims at - among other things - showing an Islamic rite and reconciling the hearts of Muslims.

Having said so, we inform you that the Muslim scholars do not allow establishing two Friday prayers in the same area without a necessity, let alone performing two Friday prayers in the same mosque. No doubt, this is more disliked. The Permanent Committee of Fatwa in Saudi Arabia gave a Fatwa ruling that performing two Jumu'ah prayers in the same mosque is unlawful. So, we advise you, dear brother, and your companions there to reconcile between yourselves and stay away from disagreement and  discord. We advise you all to do your best to choose an Imam who meets the Sharee’ah conditions to lead you in prayer. Last we remind you that Allah Says (what means):

• {And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.} [Quran 8: 46]

• {And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment.} [Quran 3: 105]

• {Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do.} [Quran 6:159]

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 225046 and 90374.   

Allah knows best.