A question regarding the distance required between two Friday prayers and the validity of the prayers if this distance is not maintained.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him):
It is required that the distance between two Friday prayers should not be less than a farsakh (approximately 5.5 kilometers). If two Friday prayers are held within a distance less than a farsakh at the same time, both prayers are invalid. However, if one prayer is held before the other, even if just by the time of the opening Takbir, the earlier prayer is valid while the later one is not. If one of the prayers lacks the conditions for validity, it does not prevent the establishment of another Friday prayer, even if it is concurrent or later.
Therefore, if someone else has performed the prayer correctly before you, you cannot perform it.
As for the obligation or non-obligation to join them, if the Friday prayer is established in a place that meets the conditions, and if it is led by the infallible Imam (peace be upon him) or his representative, attending it is obligatory. If it is led by someone else, attendance is not obligatory, and it is permissible to perform the noon prayer instead.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Friday Prayer, Articles 955 + 956
Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
It is required that the distance between adjacent Friday prayers should not be less than one farsakh (approximately 5125 meters). If two Friday prayers are held with a distance of less than one farsakh between them, the one that was held first is valid, while the second is invalid. If both are held at the same time, both are invalid.
There is no issue in performing the noon prayer in congregation simultaneously with the Friday prayer being held in another nearby location. However, since doing so may lead to the division of the believers' ranks, negligence regarding the Friday prayer, or disrespect towards the Friday Imam, it is advisable not to hold such a congregation. It is necessary to avoid holding it if it leads to corruption or is forbidden.
Source:
A Treatise on Prayer and Fasting, Prayer, Friday Prayer, Conditions of Friday Prayer + Miscellaneous Issues Regarding Friday Prayer
May you be successful in all good.