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The Islamic ruling regarding the performance of Salatul Jumu’ah (Friday prayer) on the same day as Eid prayer (Eid al-Fitr or Eidcul-Ad’haa).

This doesn’t happen often, but it will happen on Friday, June 6th,  2025. Salatul Eid, and Salatul Jumu’ah will be on the same day.  When this occurs, a special ruling of the sharia goes into effect.

The General Ruling
The General Ruling  in the case where the Eid prayer is on a Friday (yawmul Jumu’ah) is that those who attend and pray the Eid prayer are granted a concession (rukhṣah) exempting them from the obligation of attending Jumu’ah prayer. Instead, they must pray  Dhuhr as they normally would, at its prescribed time.
This is based on several hadiths and the practices of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. The Prophet ﷺ said, in the hadith of ibn Abbas,   “Two Eids have coincided on this day. Whoever wishes, the Eid prayer suffices for him (in place of Jumu’ah), but we will perform Jumu’ah”  .  This hadith is found in the Sunan of Abi Dawud with a sound chain. Further evidence for this ruling is in the narration of the companion Zaid ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه(  recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud (1070):  ”Mu’awiyah asked Zaid: ‘Did you witness two Eids happening on the same day  with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ(?  He replied: ‘Yes. The Prophet (ﷺ( prayed Eid, then permitted skipping Jumu’ah, saying: “Whoever wishes to pray (Jumu’ah) may do so, and whoever wishes to leave may do so.” This hadith was collected Abu Dawud also,  and by Ahmad, Ad-Daarimi, and al-Haakim in the Mustadrak. It establishes that the Prophet (ﷺ( himself granted concession to those who attended Eid prayer to omit Jumu’ah.

All scholars agree that in the case where a person does not pray the Eid prayer, Jumu’ah is still incumbent on that person like it is on any other Friday.
During Caliph Uthman’s reign, Eid and Jumu’ah coincided on the same day , and he permitted people to leave after Eid without having to attend Jumu’ah . 

The ruling attributed to Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (رضي الله عنه) regarding the permissibility of missing Jumu’ah prayer when it coincides with Eid is supported by several Islamic textual sources and historical reports.

The Caliph Uthman implemented and institutionalized this prophetic concession during his reign (24–35 AH). This emphasizes that while the imam must still lead Jumu’ah, attendees of Eid are excused.

Causes for this ruling: Ease of Practical Hardship 

During the time of the Prophet صلى    الله عليه وسلم  Muslims traveled from villages, bedoun encampments, and outside of Madinah to pray Eid with the Prophet, also, preparing your family to attend the Eid is harder than a man preparing and going to Jumu’ah on Friday. 

The ruling of the Prophet صلي الله عليه وسلم, and his exercise of this concession was aimed at making it easier on the Muslims.  However, it must be emphasized that the imam, or someone in his stead, must still lead Jumu’ah at the placeswhereJumu’ah in normallyheld. However, attendees of Eid are excused, because for them to remain for Jumu’ah would cause undue hardship, especially for those with long journeys.

 
Scholarly views, consensus, and differences on this ruling.   

Classical scholars interpreted these texts differently: 

The Shafi’ee and Hanbali Schools accepted the concession fully, citing the hadiths and evidences mentioned above. Those who prayed Eid could skip Jumu’ah but were required to pray Dhuhr . 

Some Hanafi and Maliki clusters of scholars initially held Jumu’ah obligatory regardless of Eid, arguing that a Sunnah (Eid) cannot override a fard obligation (Jumu’ah). However, they later acknowledged Uthman’s practice as a valid exception for travelers or the overwhelmed . 

Views amongst some modern scholars  

Scholars like Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen affirmed that the imam must hold Jumu’ah, but individuals may choose based on the Prophet’s precedent . Other scholars and fatwa boards say that this concession is for travelers only, but it you’re not a traveler, there is no exception. 
This ruling reflects:
• Adherence to Sunnah
• Reviving a less-known Prophetic practice.
• Compassion in Fiqh  
• Islam’s flexibility in mitigating hardship, as echoed in the Quranic principle: “Allah intends ease for you, not hardship” (Quran 2:185) . 

SUMMARY
The evidence for Caliph Uthman’s ruling is firmly established in authentic hadiths (Abu Dawud 1070, 1074) and historical accounts of his caliphate. By permitting the omission of Jumu’ah after Eid prayer, he upheld the Prophet’s Sunnah and embodied Islamic principles of practicality and mercy. For further study, refer to Sunan Abi Dawud, respected books of fiqh, or classical commentaries on Islamic law.

The majority opinion, supported by hadith and classical scholarship, allows Eid attendees to skip Jumu’ah and pray Dhuhr instead, while the Imam must still conduct Jumu’ah for others. Attending both prayers is ideal to maximize rewards, but concessions exist for flexibility . And Allah knows best.

SHAYKH LUQMAN AHMAD
Imamabulaith@yahoo.com