Jumu‘a in a Settlement with a Population of Three and a Half Thousand

Question

There is a village with a population of 3,500 and twenty to thirty shops from which necessary goods are available. In this village there are seventeen mosques, but even these are insufficient for the people of the village; that is, if everyone were to pray, they could not fit into these mosques. What do the respected muftis say about such a village: is Jumu‘a permissible or not?

Answer

Given the number of shops, the large number of mosques and the size of the population, this is a large settlement. Generally, in such a settlement everyday needs are met and there is no need to go anywhere else. In custom (‘urf) such a place is called a large village (qarya kabira), which has the ruling of a small town; Jumu‘a is permissible there.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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