What is the quorum for Friday prayer, and is Dhuhr prayer performed if the quorum is not met? Do children count towards the quorum, and is the sermon permissible before the quorum is complete if it becomes complete during the sermon?

Among the conditions for establishing the Friday prayer is that it must be performed in a congregation. Jurists have differed on the necessary number for this, and some scholars have favored that it is valid with three men. It is understood from the words of the jurists that the quorum (the congregation by which the Friday prayer is held) must be present from the beginning of the sermon until its end. As for children, they are not considered part of the congregation for the Friday prayer. If the conditions for establishing the Friday prayer are not met, then the Dhuhr prayer should be performed instead. Caution must be exercised against neglecting to attend the Friday prayer without a valid excuse.