What is the minimum number required to establish Friday prayer, and what is the meaning of the Prophet's saying, "More than two are a congregation"?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The jurists differed on the number required for establishing the Friday prayer. Some stipulated forty men, others three men besides the Imam, and yet others twelve men excluding the Imam. Some scholars opted for the permissibility of establishing it with three men, or with only two men: an Imam and a listener. There is no explicit text stipulating a specific number for establishing the Friday prayer, but it is agreed that it requires a congregation, and it is valid whenever a group that is conventionally considered numerous is present.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 31737
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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