The Amount of People for Jumma'h Prayers

Q: Asalaamu Alaykom

Is the minimum for a valid khatbah Jumah 40 people?

A:

 الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين، سيدنا ونبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين. وبعد

Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Muqdasi al-Hanbali (d. 620H) said: "It is required forty people in order to assemble Jumma'h (prayer). In another narration (of Ahmad), it requires only three, because it is the minimum to assemble a congregational prayer, and in a further narration it is required fifty. As for the (relied upon position) of the Madhhab it is the first opinion (forty people), as in accordance with the statement of Jabir: 'It was decided the (established) Sunnah of Friday Prayers is forty people or more attending it.' [Daraqutni] Therefore, one must uphold this Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and if there were to lessen in number which is under forty it cannot complete the Jumma'h, because it is a prerequisite." [Al-Kafi fi Fiqh Imam Ahmad, Dar Kotab al-Elmiya, Beirut, V.1/P.325]

The Madhhab's relied upon position is it must be forty people to consider it valid, but to be reasonable, it will have to be based in accordance with the customs of ones Masjid in their locality, if it is a masjid that is known to get lower then forty people every week and does not get any higher, then there is no harm in taking in the second opinion in the Madhhab which is having the minimum requirement of three people. It would be preferable if one is able to attend another masjid which does exceed the required amount of forty, for verily this is not only in accordance with the Madhhab and its evidence's, but also in accordance with that which the meaning of Jumma'h, which is for everyone to gather together on this day. Imam Ibn Kathir said: "Friday is called al-Jumma'h because it is derived from al-Jam`, literally, gathering. The people of Islam gather weekly, on every Friday in the major places of worship." [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

والله اعلم.