The importance of Jumuah Salaah

Q: Is jumuah namaz waajib or fardh?

Q: I am facing a difficult situation at work where my employer won't give me off for Jumuah Salaah. To make it for Jumuah, I sometimes switch my shift or lunches and sometimes take off. What can I do to remedy this? It is affecting me emotionally and spirituality.

Q: My daughter and her family have gone to Australia one year ago. Since then my son in-law is struggling for a job but till last month he did not get regular jobs but he was doing odd jobs. Last month he got a regular job in a good company. Now the problem is that the management did not give him permission to offer Friday prayer in the Musjid, but other prayers he performed in the company's premises. Now he wants to quit the job for this particular reason. Is this decision ok or he can pray zuhr prayer in place of Friday prayer and continue the job. Please me remember that in Australia getting jobs in very difficult particularly for Muslims.

Q: Please can you advise if a person's Jumuah Salaah is accepted in the following situations and if not, then how should one make up for it:

1. A person arrives late and the first part of the khutbah has finished?

2. A person arrives late and the khutbah has finished, but manages to join in the first rakaah?

3. A person arrives late and misses the khutbah and first rakaah of Jumuah Salaah?

4. A person arrives on time for the khutbah but does not listen attentively to the khutbah.

5. Please can you advise if the second part of the khutbah is one which is read everywhere and does not change or are their different versions?

Q: What is the islamic view on those working in Bank and aren't allowed to go for Jumah prayer?

Q: There are students who cannot attend jumuah Salaah with the masses on normal time. Is it better to arrange jummah Salaah for them a bit later after school classes or they should be encouraged just to perform zuhr Salaah?

Q: My question is what happens if we leave Friday's Salaah for three weeks consecutively? Will we become kaafir?

Q: Recently my small brother left juma prayers (as he was sleeping and when he got up he realized that he missed the juma prayers). There was nobody in the house at that time to wake him up. Our parents do not live with us, we live alone. So there is no one in the home accept my brother. He told me yesterday that this was the third time he missed juma prayer. I read a hadith stating that if you leave juma for three consecutive weeks you will become a kafir. I told my brother this Hadith, he is very worried, because he thinks he is not a Muslim any more. He promised me that he will not repeat this. He wants to atone for his mistake and remain a Muslim till his death. What should he do at this point?

Q: It is often said that, for a man in particular, missing 3 Jummah Salahs in a row eliminates him from deen. My question is that living in a foreign country, if someone misses them because there is no Mosque within miles, and the time of Salah clashes with the man's college classes. What does the Shari'ah say in these circumstances? In the namaz, is it not permissible for one to say Bismillah after Surah Fatiha (Before starting the second surah)?

Q: My job is full time but shift work. I miss jummah once every 3 weeks because of this. The Quran says you can miss jummah if you are not free to go, so am I excused or will I be punished?