Is it permissible to permanently establish study circles for teaching Surat Al-Kahf between the first and second Friday prayers at a university in a Western country, given the difficulty of gathering the brothers on days other than Friday?
Gathering to learn, recite, and study the Qur'an is among the righteous deeds. Designating Friday for this purpose is permissible, as long as the designation is due to it being a time of leisure and not due to a belief in a specific virtue. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "No group of people gathers in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them among those with Him."
It is known that designation is permissible if it is free from harm, by being based on a reasonable cause such as leisure and activity.
However, if the designation becomes a means to believe in something that is not prescribed, then it is prohibited for two reasons: First, to block the means (sadd al-dhari'a), and second, because it contradicts the meaning of breadth and generality.
From this, it becomes clear that designating an absolute act of worship is permissible under two conditions: First, it must not contradict the Lawgiver's intention of breadth and generality. Second, this designation must not create the impression that it is legislated as specific.
Holding two Friday prayers in one mosque is not permissible, unless the second Friday prayer is held in a different location within the university than the first location.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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