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He works on a ship and cannot pray Jumu'ah

Question

Salaam Alikum, I work on a ship andI have no way of going to the Masjid since my ship is in the middle of the ocean. So can I download some kutbas from YouTube and for Jumma watch the khutba in my room and pray two rakat? I feel bad that I can't pray jumma and don't know what else 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  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His Slave and Messenger.

If the situation is as you described, then it is not incumbent upon you to perform the Jumu'ah prayer; rather, you are only obliged to pray the Thuhr prayer. If you pray Thuhr, then you have fulfilled your obligation and you are not sinful because Allaah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear.

It is not correct that you listen to a recorded Khutbah and then pray two Rak’ahs with the intention of praying the Jumu'ah prayer because there are certain conditions for the validity of Jumu'ah prayer, as explained by the scholars, and those conditions have not been met in your case. Therefore, you are only obliged to perform Thuhr prayer and it is only the Thuhr prayer that is valid for you.

However, you should endeavor to listen to Khutbahs and lectures as much as you can.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 90966.

Allaah Knows best.

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