It was asked whether it was permissible to hold two separate Jumuah prayers in the same mosque. It was observed that in [a certain town’s] mosque, the khuddam who are on duty, deliver a separate sermon and offer a separate Jumuah prayer later on, despite it being prohibited in the book Fiqh-e-Ahmadiyya.

Huzoor-e-Anwar^(aba), in his letter dated 7 January 2022, provided the following guidance in this regard:

“As far as the question of offering two separate Jumuah prayers in one mosque [by two groups of people] under compelling circumstances is concerned, remember that just as the repeating of other congregational prayers is confirmed by ahadith (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Kitab as-salah, Bab ma ja’a fil l-jama‘ati fi masjidin qad sulliya fihi marrah) and also by the permission granted by the Promised Messiah^(as) for it on account of some necessity (Badr, Qadian, Vol. 6, No. 1, 10 January 1907, p. 18), Friday prayers may also be offered twice if necessary, and there is no objection to this.

“However, it is necessary to take precautions to ensure that the Friday prayer is not offered again in the same spot in the mosque where it was already performed. Instead, the on-duty khuddam should deliver their separate sermon and offer their Friday prayer in a different spot. An example of this can be found during the blessed era of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih I^(ra); Al Fazl (Qadian) recorded this in an article titled ‘Madinatul Masih’ as follows:

“‘On Fridays, men and women used to go to Aqsa Mosque. This also provided an opportunity for some mischievous people to cause trouble, which resulted in financial loss for a couple of individuals. Therefore, the following recommendation of Dr Khalifa Rashiduddin Sahib^(ra) was accepted by Hazrat Maulvi Sahib (Khalifatul Masih I^(ra)): He suggested that to achieve peace of mind, a group of believers should hold a vigil from noon until the Friday prayer has been offered, and then these sincere Ahmadis should observe their separate Friday prayer at Mubarak Mosque. Therefore, on that Friday, Babu Wazir Muhammad Sahib, a sincere and enthusiastic Ahmadi from Lahore, along with some twenty to thirty Ahmadi boys, some Afghan Ahmadis and Munshi Akbar Shah Khan Sahib, held the vigil. Then, Khan Sahib led the separate Jumuah prayer, as was instructed by Amir(-ul-Momineen, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I^(ra)), after the people had returned from the Aqsa Mosque.’ (Al Fazl, Qadian, Vol. 1, No. 4, 9 July 1913, p. 1)

“Thus, while it is possible to have another Friday prayer after one has already been offered, it should be noted that such a situation should only arise out of necessity or compulsion, as confirmed by the above reference. Additionally, obtaining permission from the local administration is also a necessary step for this. Furthermore, [according to this particular reference], it is necessary not to offer the Friday prayer again in the same mosque where it has previously been offered, but rather to find a different location. If another location is not feasible, then the second Friday prayer may be held in the courtyard of the same mosque, behind its prayer niche [mihrab], or in a corner of that mosque.”