Is it permissible to be absent from Friday prayer in places where SARS is rampant, such as China, especially if the Chinese government prohibits gatherings in mosques, given that there are mosques inside embassies not subject to this ban?

Friday prayer is obligatory, and missing it without a valid legal excuse is a major sin. Severe warnings have been reported concerning those who miss it, such as the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever leaves three Jumu'ahs out of negligence, Allah will seal his heart." And: "Indeed, some people must stop neglecting Jumu'ahs, or Allah will seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless."

The legal excuses that permit missing Friday prayer are the same as the excuses for missing congregational prayers, including fear of harm to oneself, provided that the harm is certain or highly probable, not merely a possibility.

So, if you strongly believe you will contract an illness by attending Friday prayer, you are permitted to miss it. If the authorities prevent you, and it is possible for you to pray in Islamic embassy mosques within the city, then you must go to them. However, if they are outside the city, you are not obliged to go unless you are within a distance from which you can hear the call for Friday prayer.