(1) Arrange to recite Surah Al-Kahf on the day or night of Friday.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
من قرء سورة الكهف فى يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بين الجمعتين»
Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) declared the hadith authentic, and Allama Al-Albani also graded this hadith as authentic. See Arwa’ al-Ghaleel
“Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, there will be light for him between the two Fridays.”
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
أضاء له من النور ما بينه وبين البيت العقيق»
“Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, the path from his place to the Kaaba will be illuminated for him.”
(2) On that day, one should recite abundant salutations (Durood Sharif) upon the noble person of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إن من أفضل أيامكم يوم الجمعة ، فيه خلق آدم ، وفيه قبض ، وفيه النفحة ، وفيه الصعقة ، فأكثروا على من الصلاة فيه فإن صلاتكم معروضة على قال: قالوا: يا رسول الله وكيف تعرض صلاتنا عليك وقد أرمت؟ يقولون بليت . فقال: إن الله عز وجل حرم على الأرض أجساد الأنبياء»
Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani has declared this hadith authentic.
“The best day for you is Friday. On it, Adam was created, on it he died, on it the trumpet will be blown, and on it people will fall unconscious. Therefore, on this day, send abundant salutations upon me. Your salutations will be presented before me.” The narrator relates: The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! Your bones must have decayed by now, so how will our salutations be presented to you? The Prophet ﷺ replied: Allah has forbidden the pure bodies of the Prophets to the earth. (Meaning, after death, the blessed bodies of the Prophets remain protected and preserved from any deficiency or decay).
In another place, the Prophet ﷺ said:
اكثروا الصلاة على فى يوم الجمعة فإنه ليس يصلي على احد يوم الجمعة إلا عرضت على صلاته»
Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) and Allama Albani have declared this hadith authentic. See
“On Friday, send abundant salutations upon me. Whoever sends salutations upon me on Friday, his salutations are presented before me.”
Whether salutations are recited during the day or night, the reward is equal. The Prophet ﷺ said:
أكثروا الصلاة على يوم الجمعة و ليلة الجمعة فمن صلى على صلاة صلى الله عليه عشرا»
Allama Albani has graded this hadith as Hasan (good),
“On Friday day and night, send abundant salutations upon me, for whoever sends salutations upon me once, Allah sends ten mercies upon him.”
Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) has given a beautiful explanation for sending salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ on Friday. He said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the leader of all mankind and Friday is the leader of days. Therefore, sending salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ on this day has a distinctive virtue. One wisdom behind this is that all the goodness that the Prophet’s ﷺ nation has received in this world and the Hereafter has come through him, because Allah has granted every goodness of this world and the Hereafter to the Prophet’s ﷺ nation through him. The greatest honor and respect they will receive will also be on Friday. On this day, they will reach their places and palaces in Paradise. When they enter Paradise, this day will be called ‘The Day of Increase’ for them, and the believers’ Eid in this world is also on this day. On this day, Allah will fulfill every desire of the people of Paradise, and none of their requests will be denied. All these honors and dignities are granted to the believers through the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, thanking the Prophet ﷺ and praising him is only possible in this way, and the only way to fulfill any of his rights is to send abundant salutations upon him on this day and night.”
Whether it is the blessed Friday or any other day, sending salutations upon the noble person of the Prophet ﷺ is a deed of great benefit, status, reward, and virtue. The Prophet ﷺ said:
من صلى على واحدة صلى الله عليه عشر صلوات و حط عنه عشر خطيئات ورفع له عشر درجات»
– Professor Shoaib Al-Athar Waṭ has declared this hadith authentic, and Allama Albani also graded it authentic. Sahih al-Jami’
“Whoever sends salutations upon me once, Allah sends ten mercies upon him, forgives ten of his sins, and raises him ten degrees.”
What greater blessing and good fortune can a Muslim have than to receive the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ in the Hereafter? And this status is attained through sending salutations. The Prophet ﷺ said:
من صلى على حين يصبح عشرا وحين يمسي عشرا أدركته شفاعتي يوم القيامة»
In the book Al-Adhkar, chapter 28, Allama Al-Haythami has narrated this hadith from Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir and declared its chain trustworthy. Also, Allama Albani graded it Hasan in Jami’ al-Sahih Hadith 6357.
“Whoever sends salutations upon me ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening, on the Day of Resurrection he will receive my intercession.”
(3) It is Sunnah to recite Surah As-Sajda in the first rak’ah and Surah Ad-Dahr in the second rak’ah of the Fajr prayer on Friday.
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرأ فى الجمعة فى صلاة الفجر الم تنزيل السجدة وهل أتى على الإنسان حين من الدهر»
Surah As-Sajda is in the 21st Juz. Its number is 31. It has three rukus and thirty verses. Surah Ad-Dahr, whose other name is “Al-Insan,” is in the 19th Juz. Its number is 76 and it consists of two rukus and 31 verses.
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to recite Surah As-Sajda in the first rak’ah and Surah Ad-Dahr / Al-Insan in the second rak’ah of the Fajr prayer on Friday.”
(4) On Friday, one should prepare for the Friday prayer as early as possible because the earlier one goes, the more reward one will receive. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إذا كان يوم الجمعة وقفت الملائكة على باب المسجد يكتبون الأول فالأول ، ومثل المهجر كمثل الذى يهدي بدنة ، ثم كالذي يهدي بقرة ، ثم كبشا ثم دجاجة ، ثم بيضة ، فإذا خرج الإمام طووا صحفهم ويستمعون الذكر»
For brevity, we have only mentioned one detailed hadith, otherwise there are many narrations with this meaning in the books of hadith. For further details, please refer to: Muwatta Imam Malik, Book of Friday Prayer, Chapter on the Practice of Ghusl on Friday,
“When it is Friday, the angels stand at the door of the mosque and write down those who come first and those who come after. The reward of the one who comes in the first hour is like that of sacrificing a camel in the way of Allah. The reward of the one who comes in the second hour is like that of sacrificing a cow. The reward of the one who comes in the third hour is like that of sacrificing a ram. Then it is like giving a chicken as charity, then like giving an egg as charity. Then when the Imam comes to the pulpit, the angels fold up their registers and devote themselves to listening to the sermon.”
(5) It is very necessary to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) on the day of Jumu’ah (Friday). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
الغسل يوم الجمعة واجب على كل محتلم»
“Performing Ghusl on the day of Jumu’ah is obligatory for every adult.”
And this Ghusl should be done thoroughly. Those whose hair is longer or dirtier should take extra care while performing Ghusl. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
اغتسلوا يوم الجمعة واغسلوا رءوسكم وإن لم تكونوا جنبا….»
“Perform Ghusl on the day of Jumu’ah and wash your head as well, even if you are not required to perform the obligatory Ghusl for Janabah (major impurity).”
During the blessed era of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), hardly anyone was negligent about Ghusl on this day. The following beautiful incident correctly reflects this:
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن عمر بن الخطاب بينما هو قائم فى الخطبة يوم الجمعة إذ دخل رجل من المهاجرين الأولين من أصحاب النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ، فناداه عمر: أية ساعة هذه؟ قال: إني شغلت فلم أنقلب إلى أهلي حتى سمعت التأذين فلم أزد أن توضات . فقال: والوضوء أيضا وقد علمت أن رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم كان يأمر بالغسل»
“Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was delivering the Friday sermon when a Companion who had migrated in the early days (according to another narration, it was Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)) entered. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) loudly asked: What kind of time is this to come? The one who came replied: I was busy and could not even go home; the Adhan was called, I performed Wudu (ablution), and came here. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And you came only after performing Wudu, whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to command performing Ghusl.”
It is clear what importance the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) attached to performing Ghusl on the day of Jumu’ah. Therefore, every Muslim should at least perform Ghusl on the day of Jumu’ah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded bathing once every seven days and said:
حق على كل مسلم أن يغسل فى كل سبعة أيام يوما ، يغسل فيه رأسه وجسده»
“It is obligatory for every Muslim to bathe at least once every seven days, washing the head and the body.”
And if someone’s body emits a bad odor, then performing Ghusl becomes even more necessary. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that people used to come to pray Jumu’ah from four villages around Madinah Munawwarah, and they used to wear ‘Iba’ (a loose cloak made of wool or hair) and would become dusty, causing them to emit a bad smell. On one occasion, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was at my house and one of those men came, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لو انكم تطهرتم ليومكم هذا»
“Why do you not perform Ghusl for this day?”
(6) Arrange for fragrance and miswak because these are liked and favored. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself used to take care of this and also advised others to do so. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
غسل يوم الجمعة على كل محتلم وسواك ويمس من الطيب ما قدر عليه»
“It is obligatory upon every adult to take a bath on Friday, use miswak, and apply whatever fragrance is available.”
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
إن هذا يوم عيد جعله الله للمسلمين ، فمن جاء إلى الجمعة فليغتسل ، وإن كان طيب فليمس منه ، وعليكم بالسواك»
Al-Albani graded this hadith as Hasan.
“Allah has made this day an Eid (festival) for the Muslims, so whoever among you comes for Friday prayer should take a bath. If fragrance is available, then use it. And you must definitely use miswak.”
Miswak does not mean a toothbrush and toothpaste at all, but rather the root or branch of a tree, such as the soft branch of the Kikar or Neem tree, the root of the jungle tree (Inderain or Tamh in Punjabi), or any soft and fibrous twig used as miswak, especially the root or branch of the Peelu tree. From a medical perspective, Peelu miswak is more beneficial and its fragrance is also pleasant.
It should be noted that there is no harm in using a toothbrush and toothpaste for treatment or cleaning purposes; however, they cannot replace miswak, and if they are used at every Sunnah occasion instead of miswak, it will prove harmful rather than beneficial.
The topic of fragrance and miswak also appears in subsequent hadiths in other contexts.
(7) Choose bright, clean, and even the best possible clothing. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
من اغتسل يوم الجمعة ، ولبس من أحسن ثيابه ، ومس من طيب إن كان عنده ، ثم أتى الجمعة ، فلم يتخط أعناق الناس ، ثم صلى ما كتب الله له ، ثم أنصت إذا خرج إمامه ، حتى يفرغ من صلاته ، كانت كفارة لما بينها وبين جمعته التى قبلها» Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Purification, Chapter on Bathing on Friday. Allama Albani has graded this hadith as Hasan. Also found in Sahih Ibn Hibban Al-Ihsan 3/16, Hadith 2778, Al-Mustadrak / 283, Musnad Ahmad 81/3, and Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 243/3:
“Whoever takes a bath on Friday and wears his best clothes (some narrations use the word صالح ثيابه», meaning good and clean), and if perfume is available, uses it as well, then comes to the Friday prayer, does not harm the necks of the people (i.e., does not harm others), then prays as much as he can, and remains silent from the time the Imam comes until the prayer is completed, his deeds will be an expiation for the sins between that Friday and the previous Friday.”
And if a special outfit is chosen for Friday, it is desirable and commendable, provided there is capacity for it. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate:
أن النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم خطب الناس يوم الجمعة ، فرأى عليهم ثياب النمار ، فقال رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: ما على أحدكم إن وجد سعة أن يتخذ ثوبين لجمعته سوى ثوبی مهنته»
Allama Albani has graded this hadith as Sahih.
Once, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered the Friday sermon in front of the people. On that occasion, he saw them wearing striped clothes, and he said:
“If you have the capacity, then besides your everyday clothes, have two special garments made specifically for Friday.”
(8) When leaving the house for the mosque, always recite the prescribed supplication so that by Allah’s mercy you remain safe from every kind of difficulty and distress. Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that whenever the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went out of the house, he would recite this supplication:
بسم الله توكلت على الله ، اللهم إنا نعوذ بك من أن نزل أو نضل أو نظلم أو نظلم أو نجهل أو يجهل علينا»
Imam Tirmidhi has graded this hadith as Hasan Sahih. With slight verbal differences or additions and omissions, this supplication can also be found in
“In the name of Allah, and I place my trust in Allah. O Allah, we seek refuge in You lest we slip or go astray, lest we oppress anyone or be oppressed, lest we act ignorantly towards anyone or anyone acts ignorantly towards us.”
(9) One should go to the Friday prayer in a calm and dignified manner, and it is even better if one goes on foot. Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا أقيمت الصلاة فلا تأتوها تسعون وأتوها تمشون . وعليكم السكينة ، فما أدركتم فصلوا ، وما فاتكم فأتموا»
“When the prayer has started, do not come running, but arrive walking calmly (some narrations also mention the word dignity). Pray whatever part of the prayer you catch, and complete what you miss.”
Going on foot on the day of Jumu’ah is even more rewarding. Hazrat Aws bin Aws Al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
من غسل يوم الجمعة واغتسل ثم بكر وابتكر ، ومشى ولم يركب ، ودنا من الإمام فاستمع ولم يلغ كان له بكل خطوة أجر سنة صيامها وقيامها»
Al-Albani graded this hadith as authentic.
“Whoever bathes on Friday, washes his head, leaves his house early, goes on foot without riding, sits close to the Imam, listens attentively to the sermon, and does not engage in idle actions, will have the reward of fasting and standing in prayer for the entire year for every step he takes.”
When there is reward for every step, the farther a person travels, the greater the reward. Hazrat Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
أعظم الناس أجرا فى الصلاة أبعدهم فأبعدهم ممشى والذي ينتظر الصلاة حتى يصليها مع الإمام أعظم أجرا من الذى يصلي ثم ينام»
“The farther a person walks to attend the prayer, the greater the reward he will receive. The one who waits for the prayer to be led by the Imam and prays in congregation will have a much greater reward compared to the one who prays alone and then goes back to sleep.”
(10) When entering the mosque, recite the prescribed supplication.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إذا دخل أحدكم المسجد فليقل: اللهم افتح لي ابواب رحمتك»
When anyone of you enters the mosque, he should say this supplication:
اللهم افتح لي أبواب رحمتك»
Meaning: “O Allah! Open the doors of Your mercy for me.”
(11) In any case, one should pray two rak’ahs and then sit, even if the Imam is delivering the sermon.
Hazrat Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا دخل أحدكم المسجد فليركع ركعتين قبل أن يجلس»
“When any one of you enters the mosque, he should pray two rak’ahs before sitting.”
In another narration, Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates:
جاء سليك الغطفاني يوم الجمعة و رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يخطب ، فجلس ، فقال له: ياسليك قم فاركع ركعتين وتجوز فيهما ثم قال: إذا جاء أحدكم يوم الجمعة والإمام يخطب فليركع ركعتين وليتجوز فيهما»
“Hazrat Sulayk al-Ghatfani (may Allah be pleased with him) came at the time when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was delivering the Friday sermon. Sulayk sat down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Sulayk, stand up and pray two rak’ahs, just keep it brief. Then he said: When anyone comes on Friday and the Imam is delivering the sermon, he should definitely pray two rak’ahs, just keep it brief.”
Friday has the distinction that on this day the time of Dhuhr midday (half of the day) is not considered a disliked time for prayer. For more detailed discussion and evidence on this issue, see Zad al-Ma’ad by Allama Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), pages 378 to 380, edited by Allama Shoaib al-Arna’oot, published by Maktabah al-Risalah, 1991.
Before the Friday prayer, one may pray as many rak’ahs as he wishes; there is no restriction. This has been mentioned in various hadiths
, which we have cited in many places. It is preferable to pray longer rak’ahs rather than many short ones. Hazrat Nafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
“Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray a long prayer before Friday and then pray two rak’ahs at home, and he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also used to pray two rak’ahs at home in the same way.”
The hadith is authentic.
However, it should be remembered that there are no fixed Sunnah prayers before Friday prayer as there are four fixed Sunnah rak’ahs before Dhuhr prayer. One may pray two, four, six, or even more rak’ahs, and there is no time restriction for them, whether before the zenith (zawal), at the time of zenith, or after zenith. But when the Imam arrives for the sermon, one should stop. For further details, see Zad al-Ma’ad, vol. 1, page 432, published by Maktabah al-Risalah, 1991.
(12) One should sit closer to the Imam.
In this way, during the sermon, a person sits attentively and understands the sermon better. Hazrat Samrah bin Jundub (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
أحضروا الجمعة وادنوا من الإمام ، فإن الرجل لا يزال يتباعد حتى يوخر فى الجنة وإن دخلها»
Allama Albani has graded this hadith as Hasan.
“Arrive early for Jumu’ah prayer and sit close to the Imam. The farther a person sits from the Imam, the farther he will be in Paradise, even if he eventually enters Paradise.”
The virtue of sitting closer to the Imam has already been mentioned under hadith number 9 with reference to Musnad Ahmad 104/14 and Sunan Abi Dawood Hadith 345; review it again. The encouragement to arrive early for Jumu’ah prayer and sit closer to the Imam is explained in great detail in another hadith. Hazrat Alqamah (RA) narrates that I went out for Jumu’ah prayer with Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (RA), and three men had already arrived. He said: “I am the fourth, and the fourth person is not far behind.” I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
إن الناس يجلسون من الله يوم القيامة على قدر رواحهم إلى الجمعات: الأول والثاني والثالث ، ثم قال رابع أربعة ، وما رابع أربعة ببعيد»
“People will sit close to Allah on the Day of Resurrection in the same order as they come for Jumu’ah prayer. The first to arrive will be first, then the second, then the third. Then He said: The fourth to arrive among the four is not far behind the others.”
(13) During the sermon, one should sit facing the Imam with full attention and concentration and should not be distracted by anything else.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (RA) and Hazrat Uday bin Thabit (RA) narrate that when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would come to the pulpit to deliver the sermon, we would sit facing him.
Al-Albani has declared this hadith authentic.
Being occupied with one’s body, clothes, or anything else during the sermon nullifies the reward of Jumu’ah. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
من توضأ فأحسن الوضوء ، ثم أتى الجمعة ، فاستمع وأنصت ، غفر له ما بين الجمعة إلى الجمعة ، وزيادة ثلاثة أيام ، ومن مس الحصى فقد لغا»
“Whoever performs ablution well, then comes to the Friday prayer, listens attentively, and remains silent, his sins between that Friday and the next Friday plus three days will be forgiven. And whoever plays with pebbles has wasted the reward of Jumu’ah.”
And whoever makes idle movements during the sermon will receive the reward of Zuhr prayer, but his Jumu’ah reward will be lost. This matter is explained in detail with evidence under the prohibitions of Friday, number 4; please refer there.
(14) After the Friday prayer, change the place and perform four rak’ahs, whether all four in the mosque or two in the mosque and two at home.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إذا صلى أحدكم الجمعة فليصل بعدها أربعا»
“When you have finished the Friday prayer, then perform four rak’ahs after it.”
On another occasion, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
من كان منكم مصليا بعد الجمعة فليصل أربعا . فإن عجل بك شيء فصل ركعتين فى المسجد وركعتين إذا رجعت»
“Whoever among you wishes to pray after the Friday prayer, let him pray four rak’ahs, and if you are in a hurry for some reason, then pray two rak’ahs in the mosque and two after returning home.”
Sitting in the mosque for recitation, remembrance, religious education, or supplication is not objectionable; however, sitting in the mosque for chatting or social gatherings is disliked.
(15) When leaving the mosque, make it a practice to recite the Sunnah supplication. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
وإذا خرج فليقل: اللهم إني أسألك من فضلك»
And when leaving the mosque, recite this supplication: اللهم اني اسألك من فضلك» meaning “O Allah! I ask You for Your bounty.”
(16) There is no specific time restriction or condition for supplicating to Allah Almighty; however, certain times are preferable and more suitable for the acceptance of prayers. The time from after Asr on Friday until Maghrib is a time when prayers are accepted, the details and evidence of which have been discussed in the previous chapter. Try to spend the time from Asr to Maghrib in the mosque, reciting Quran, making dhikr, acquiring knowledge, teaching others, praying, or sitting silently. In any case, this time and place are the best and most honorable.
