Earning Livelihood on Friday: When Is It Ḥarām and When Is It Ḥalāl?
Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il, Issues of Buying and Selling, Vol. 1, p. 372
❖ Question:
Is earning livelihood on Friday ḥarām? Or is it only prohibited during the time of the khuṭbah (one or two hours)? Is earning livelihood for the rest of the day ḥalāl, or is it prohibited for the entire day?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
Earning livelihood on Friday is not prohibited for the whole day. Rather, it is forbidden and disliked only from the time of the adhān of Jumu‘ah until the conclusion of the Jumu‘ah prayer (i.e., until salām is said).
Allah ﷻ has given a clear command in the Qur’an:
﴿إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوۡمِ ٱلۡجُمُعَةِ﴾
“When the call is made for prayer on the Day of Jumu‘ah.”
(Sūrat al-Jumu‘ah, 9)
Through this verse, Allah commands that when the adhān is given on Friday, one should leave trade and work.
In the next verse of the same sūrah, Allah says:
﴿فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُواْ﴾
“Then when the prayer is concluded, disperse in the land.”
(Sūrat al-Jumu‘ah, 10)
This means that after the Jumu‘ah prayer is completed, it is permissible to engage in livelihood and business.
❖ Summary:
✿ Only the time from the adhān of Jumu‘ah until the completion of the prayer (salām) is when worldly business and earning livelihood is prohibited.
✿ After the Jumu‘ah prayer, earning livelihood for the rest of the day is completely permissible.
✿ There is no restriction on earning livelihood during the remaining hours of Friday.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
