Q1: The day is very short here in winter, so much that prayer times are almost close to each other, and the neighboring mosque, as in most cases in Britain, delays the Dhuhr prayer up to just before `Asr prayer time, which puts us in a great confusion, especially that I live next to the mosque, and I know well the obligation of praying in the mosque. To make it clearer, the Dhuhr prayer time today, November 15, 2005, is at 11:47 am, whereas prayers are held at 1:15 pm, and time becomes shorter and shorter until it is 1:47 pm, and the Dhuhr prayer time is still as it is. Is it permissible in this case to pray the Dhuhr prayer at home with my wife? If it is OK, please kindly, give evidence of support.

Q2: Here in many mosques, Friday prayers are held for more than one time because of the masses of worshippers. However, I heard from a knowledgeable person that the four Fiqh schools of Shari`ah disagree on this, is that true? I will appreciate your answer if it is supported with the sayings of the two Fiqh schools: Shafi`i and Hanafi in this issue. May Allah bless you. 

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful,

Praise be to Allah, prayers and peace be upon His Messenger, family members, companions and followers.

(1): Delaying prayer time as in your case is distasteful, and in such cases it is usually said: advise your folks to hurry up for prayers in its prime time, and if they accept that advice, then praise be to Allah, and if they refuse it, just pray on time because it is the obligatory prayer, and make your prayers with the folks in the mosque a volunteer one, as it often happens with the unfair Imams. It has frequently been reported that the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said that days would come upon the Muslim Ummah when some rulers deaden prayers to make it like dead bodies, and they pray it not on time, and the companions said: O, Messenger of Allah, what would you order us to do?, he said: "Pray on time and make your prayers with the folks in the mosque as a volunteer one".

(2): As for holding Friday prayers more than once in one mosque, the basis is to prevent that, except for a necessity or a dire need, and this occurs in non-Muslim countries, and without objection from Shari`ah scholars, because there is no alternative except abandoning the Friday prayers, which no one could ever dare to proclaim it.

Allah knows best