Question:
If I am a Canadian citizen, and I travel from Edmonton to Winnipeg, is jumuah prayer mandatory?
Answer:
- Jumu‘ah is not obligatory on a person who qualifies as a Musafir (traveller) in Islamic law.
- This ruling is unrelated to one’s citizenship or nationality. What matters is the state of travel, not the legal residency.
- The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) did not pray Jumu‘ah while travelling, and there’s no report of him leading or joining Jumu‘ah while on a journey.
- Therefore, if you are travelling from Edmonton to Winnipeg and your travel meets the criteria of shar‘i travel (typically around 80+ km), then you are exempt from the obligation of Jumu‘ah.
Note:
If, while travelling, you happen to be in a city and a Jumu‘ah is being held, you may attend, but it is not obligatory upon you.