The issue is whether a second jumuah congregation can be held in a masjid (at around 3.00pm) to provide the youth, mostly middle and high school students, the opportunity to fulfill their religious obligation. Presently a large number of students in this age group are missing their jumuah salat and are growing up with a lessening regard for this extremely important obligation. Some scholars suggest that the students should hold jumuah at their respective schools. This might not be a good solution as many students would not actually implement it if things were left entirely to them. Also, there are a number of schools in a particular locality and to organize a jumuah in all schools may not be practical. Moreover, the idea of jumuah is to congregate people and not to disperse them into small groups. Jazaak  Allah khairan.

All praise be to Allah. May He bless his last and best Messenger, Muhammad,

It is obligatory on the post pubertal youth to attend the jumu’ah prayer with the congregation. The imams must take their presence in consideration.

I would issue a standard letter to the board of education in your locality, explaining to them the importance of the Friday Prayer and requesting them to allow their students out during that time. If that does not work, I would then start a jumu’ah prayer at the schools and assign speakers, who can go out to deliver the speech there. If one of the students is trustworthy and capable of delivering the speech, that may be even better.

It is only acceptable, according to some scholars, to hold a second jumu’ah for a very legitimate need, such as the capacity of the masjid not accommodating the whole congregation. It would not be acceptable to hold the prayer after the time of dhuhr has passed (the time of jumu’ah starts after sun rise and ends by ‘asr, according to the Hanbalis. According to the majority, it starts at noon and ends at ‘Asr, except that the Malikis extend the time in certain cases (not always) to shortly before sunset, an opinion that was rejected by the rest of the scholars). It would not be right to make such compromises for the young adults, who will grow up thinking that they do not need to put effort into conforming to the religion, but they will make it conform to their whims.

If none of the above works for reasons beyond our control, I would then have a second jumu’ah for the students at a time they come out of school, given it was before sunset. In this case, and after exhausting other options, I hope Allah will forgive our shortcoming and the concession given in the Maliki school; which may save those youths’ jumu’ah. It remains to be said that we must continue to strive for those students to attend the jumu’ah with the main congregation.

Allah knows best.