Can I pray Jumu’ah prayers at home following an Imaam on live TV or online

By Asma bint Shameem

QUESTION

Can I pray Jumu’ah prayers at home following an Imaam on live TV or online❓

ANSWER

No it’s not allowed to offer ANY prayer following an Imaam or congregation on television or online.

Such a prayer is NOT VALID.

In order for our prayer to count, we must fulfill the following conditions

1. We should be PHYSICALLY present as  PART of the congregation

2. - The rows of the people praying should be UNINTERRUPTED and CONTINUOUS.

🍃Someone asked the Standing Committee about the same issue (praying by following the Imaam from their house) and they said:

“The prayer is not valid...unless the rows are uninterrupted until they reach his house and he is able to follow the imaam by seeing him or hearing his voice, in which case it is valid.

But if the condition mentioned is not met, it is NOT VALID, because what is required of the Muslim is to offer the prayer in congregation in the houses of Allaah with his fellow Muslim, because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Whoever hears the call and does not come, there is no prayer for him, except for the one who has an excuse.” (Ibn Maajah, al-Daaraqutni and al-Haakim)

And because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said to the blind man who asked him whether he could pray in his house:

“Can you hear the call to prayer?”

He said: Yes. He said: “Then answer it.” (Muslim).”

[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/31)]

🍃Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said about this issue:

“It is not permissible for anyone to follow the Imaam via radio or TV, because prayer in “congregation” means being “together” in the same place, so it has to be in one place and the rows should be connected to one another (i.e. immediately behind one another).

It is NOT PERMISSIBLE to pray via radio or TV because they do not meet these criteria.

If we were to allow that, anyone could pray all five prayers in his house, and Jumu’ah too.

This goes against the wisdom behind the prescription of Jumu’ah prayer and prayer in congregation.

Based on this, it is not permissible for women or anyone else to pray following the radio or TV.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.”

[Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/213)]

🔺Besides, think about it this way:

If praying in your home following the Imaam from far, without actually being physically present in the masjid was okay, why would the Sahaabah have joined the Jama’ah in the masjid?

They would have each just prayed in their homes.

After all, their houses were right there, next to the masjid.

And they could ‘hear’the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam lead the prayer.

Yet they would actually, physically get out of their houses and GO to the masjid and join the Imaam for each prayer.

🔺Conclusion:

It’s not allowed to follow the Imaam in prayer from home.

You must actually, physically, be present at the masjid in order for your prayer to count.

And Allaah knows best