What is the ruling on Friday prayer that schools compel students to perform, with lunch being eaten an hour or more before it, and what is the validity of that Islamically? Is there any text from the Qur’an or Sunnah that clarifies this?

The majority of scholars hold that Friday Prayer is not performed until after the sun has passed its meridian (zawal). They cite the hadiths of Salamah ibn al-Akwa' and Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray it when the sun began to decline. In contrast, the Hanbalis are of the view that it is valid before zawal, citing the hadith (definition) of Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that they used to pray and then return to their camels when the sun passed its meridian, and the hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) that they would not take their midday nap or eat their lunch until after Friday Prayer.

The Permanent Committee for Issuing Fatwas stated that the matter is subject to ijtihad (definition) (independent reasoning) and allows for flexibility, and that it is preferable to pray after zawal to avoid disagreement. However, for those who pray a little before zawal, their prayer is valid, especially in cases of necessity. Sheikh Ibn Baz and Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen affirmed the permissibility of performing Friday Prayer a short time before zawal, and that it is preferable to pray it after zawal to avoid scholarly disagreement.

Therefore, there is no harm in performing Friday Prayer about an hour before zawal, but it is preferable to pray it after zawal if possible.