Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abul Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is an hour on the day of Jumu’ah; any Muslim who asks Allah Almighty for any good during that hour while performing prayer, Allah grants it to him. Then, indicating with his hand, he pointed out the brevity of that hour.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri and Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: There is an hour on Friday during which, whatever a Muslim asks Allah Almighty for, He grants it to him, and this hour is after Asr.

Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman says: Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: On the day of Jumu'ah, there is such an hour that if a Muslim, while in the state of prayer, asks Allah Almighty for any good or virtue, He grants it to him. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) indicated with his hand to show how brief it is. When Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, I said (in my heart): By Allah! If I go to Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and ask him about this hour, perhaps he has some knowledge about it. So I went to him, ... a long hadith is mentioned ... , I went to him and said: O Abu Sa'id! Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us a hadith about the hour on the day of Jumu'ah, do you have any knowledge about (the determination of its time)? Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I had asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I was informed about this hour, but then it was made to be forgotten by me, just like the Night of Qadr. Then I left him and went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him).

Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman says: (With the previous chain and words, in it is:) Then I went out and went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about this. He said: Allah Almighty created Adam (peace be upon him) on Friday, on the same day he was sent down to the earth, and on the same day he passed away. On this day, the Day of Resurrection will be established, and its last hour is (the hour of acceptance). I said: But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the servant should be in the state of prayer, and in the last hour of the day, no prayer is performed? He said: Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the one who is waiting for the prayer is also considered to be in prayer? I said: Yes, of course, (I have understood), that is it, by Allah! That is it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was also present, that we find in Allah’s Book (the Torah) that on Friday there is an hour in which, whatever Muslim asks Allah for while he is in prayer, Allah grants it to him. Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated that the time of this hour is very brief. I said: The Messenger of Allah has spoken the truth (indeed its time is short). Abu Salamah said: I asked him, which hour is that? He said: It is the last hour of the day. I said: But that is not the time of prayer? He said: Why not, indeed when a Muslim, after offering prayer, sits in his place of prayer waiting for the next prayer, he is considered to be in prayer.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went to Syria and met Ka’b al-Ahbar. He kept narrating to me from the Torah, and I kept narrating to him the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), until the mention of the day of Friday came up. I narrated to him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “On the day of Friday, there is an hour in which, whatever a Muslim asks Allah for, He grants it to him.” Ka’b said: “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth; this occurs once every year.” I said: “No.” After pondering for a while, Ka’b said: “Yes, Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth; this occurs once every month.” I said: “No.” Upon hearing this, Ka’b pondered again and said: “Yes, Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth; this occurs once every Friday.” I said: “Yes.” Ka’b said: “Do you know which day it is?” I said: “Which day is it?” He said: “It is the day on which Allah created Adam (peace be upon him), and on this very day the Resurrection will be established. That is why, except for jinn and mankind, all creatures listen attentively on this (day) out of fear of the Resurrection.” Then I came to Madinah Munawwarah and informed Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) of Ka’b’s statement. He said: “Ka’b was wrong.” I said: “Yes, he had agreed with me (that this hour occurs every Friday).” (Then Abdullah bin Salam, may Allah be pleased with him,) said: “Do you know which hour it is?” I said: “No.” Then I insisted upon him, saying: “Tell me, tell me.” So he said: “This hour is between Asr and Maghrib.” I said: “How can that be, when there is no prayer at that time?” He said: “Did you not hear the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘A servant remains in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer while sitting in his place of prayer?’”

(Second Chain) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I met Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam, may Allah be pleased with him, and told him about my meeting with Ka'b, that he said this hour occurs once a year. He (Abdullah bin Salam) said: Ka'b has spoken incorrectly; rather, it occurs every Friday, as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has said. I said: Yes, he had retracted his statement. Then he (Abdullah bin Salam) said: By the One in whose hand is the soul of Abdullah bin Salam! I know this hour very well. I said: O Abdullah! Then tell me. He said: It is the last hour on Friday. I said: But regarding this, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said that any believer who supplicates in it, while he is in the state of prayer (and at that hour, no prayer is performed). He said: Have you not heard the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that the one who waits for the prayer is considered to be in prayer, as long as he does not pray? I said: Why not, he said: Then that is the matter.

(Third Chain) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam said: I know at what time this hour is. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I said, do not be stingy and tell me. So he said: It is the last hour of Friday. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: How can it be the last hour of Friday, when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said that any Muslim who coincides with this hour while praying, and this hour is such that no prayer is performed in it? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, not say that: Whoever sits in a place waiting for prayer, he is considered to be in prayer until he performs the prayer. I said: Yes. He said: Then that is it.