Friday prayer and college classes

What to do with Friday (Jum’a) prayer, if student is not allowed to leave classes and unauthorized leave is fraught with consequences up to dismissal?

Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his book “Tuhfat al-Muhtaj” on the acceptable reasons for which it is permissible to skip Friday prayer and/ or congregational prayer, writes the following, “On the issue of earning a provision, it is clear that a valid reason (to skip Friday and congregational prayer) is the need itself (for this support), if it is currently relevant.

And if there is no such necessity at the moment, then it is not considered as the valid reason.” Imam ‘Abdul Hamid al-Shirwani in his sub-commentaries quotes the words of the Shafi’i scholar Sayyid ‘Umar alBasri, who asks, “What to do if the need for this support arises in the future, and had the person not searched/prepared for it now, he would not be able to acquire this provision later when the need appears?

Further, Imam al-Shirwani writes, “Here, it can be said that this is a more worthy reason than the situation where a man, lagging behind his fellow travelers, is left alone on the journey.” Friday prayer is the individual responsibility of every adult and mentally fit Muslim who has no valid reason to miss it.

If a student is not allowed to attend it because of the studies which are important and necessary for his subsequent work and earnings, or from work and the unauthorized leaving is fraught with serious consequences and there is no another alternative educational institution or place of work where he would be allowed to attend Friday prayer, he may miss the prayer, and instead perform the afternoon prayer.

All responsibility will fall on the leadership of this school/organisation, if it was possible to allow their student/employee to attend the Friday prayer.

Source: Tuhfat Al-Muhtaj, vol. 2, p. 273