For The Validity Of Friday Prayer, Is It Required To Establish It In A City?

For the validity of Friday prayer, is it required to establish it in a city?

Islamic scholars stated that it is compulsory to establish Friday prayer in a city or a residential area equal to a city. This judgment is based on Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) hadith saying that Friday prayer cannot be established in places other than cities or places that are that has similar characteristics of a city (Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, III, 179). The condition of being a city mentioned in the sources should be interpreted as big or small residential areas today. Because the Prophet Muhammad (saw) performed the first Friday prayer in a valley where the children of Salim ibn Awf resided and which was called Ranuna, during his migration from Mecca to Medina (Ibn Hisham, as-Sira, I, 494).

Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, “It is fardh to establish Friday prayer even if there are only four people in a residential area.” (Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, III, 255). Accordingly, the Friday prayer that is established in all residential areas big or small such as village, town, or city where there are enough people to perform the fardh is valid. However, wherever it is established, permission should be taken from religiously authorized bodies.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA