Reactualization of the Concept of Balad in Friday Prayer in the Shafi'i Scholars

Abstract

The Friday prayers in the Shafi'i Madhhab must be performed in one place within a certain area (balad) unless there is a valid shar'i necessary. This is to maintain community unity and orderly worship. However, contemporary social changes such as population growth, urbanization, territorial expansion, and the spread of mosques have challenged the classical application of the concept of balad and raised issues related to ta?addud al-jumu?ah. This study examines how the concept of balad in the Shafi'i Madhhab can be understood and applied in modern social conditions. This research aims to analyze the Shafi'i legal perspective on balad and recontextualize it in response to contemporary realities. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis from classical Shafi'i sources, including al-Umm, Raudhah al-Thalibin, ?ashiyah al-Bajuri, and I?anah al-Thalibin, as well as relevant secondary literature. The results show that the Shafi'i Madhhab emphasizes the unity of Friday prayers in one balad, and that when Friday prayers are performed in several places without a valid shar'i need, only the first prayer is considered valid. However, some Shafi'i scholars, such as Ibn ?Ujayl, allow for flexibility by considering administrative boundaries, congregation capacity, and public interest (mashlahah), indicating the need for contextual interpretation without departing from the core principles of the school of thought.