Surah Al-Jumu'a (62) — Ayah 9

9. O you who believe! When the call to prayer is made on the day of Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah [14] and leave off trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.

[14]
Evidence for the Obligation to Follow the Sunnah:

From the style of expression, it is clear that before the revelation of these verses, both the adhan and Jumu'ah were well known. They are only being instructed that when the adhan for Jumu'ah is called, leave all buying and selling and other worldly occupations and immediately proceed to the mosque to listen to the sermon and perform the prayer. Whereas, nowhere in the Quran are the words of the adhan mentioned, nor the arrangement of the Jumu'ah prayer. These matters have been explained by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which have been confirmed by the Quran. From this, it is clearly evident that just as the commands of the Quran are obligatory to follow, so too are the commands of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ obligatory to follow, and whoever considers only the Quran as obligatory to follow is, in fact, a denier of the Quran itself. How did the adhan begin? What are its words, rulings, and virtues? For this, see the following ahadith:

Ahadith and Rulings Related to the Adhan:

1. Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that when the Muslims came to Madinah, they would gather for prayer without any adhan. They would fix a time for prayer, but there was no adhan. One day they discussed this matter, so some said, "Make a bell like the Christians," and some said, "Make a horn like the Jews." Sayyiduna Umar ؓ said, "Why not appoint a man who would call for prayer?" So the Prophet ﷺ (preferring this opinion) said to Bilal ؓ, "Bilal, get up and call the adhan for prayer." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب بدء الاذان]
2. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that Bilal ؓ was instructed to say the words of the adhan twice each and the words of the takbir once each, except for "Qad qamatis salah." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب الاذان مثنیٰ مثنیٰ]
3. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that we used to go on jihad with the Prophet ﷺ. He would prevent us from attacking until morning. Then, if we heard the adhan there (in the morning), we would not attack them, and if we did not hear the adhan, then we would attack. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب ما یحقن بالاذان من الدماء]
4. Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When you hear the adhan, say what the mu'adhdhin says." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب مایقول اذا سمع المنادی]
However, when he says "Hayya 'ala-s-Salah," say "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah."
5. Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari says that the Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever, after hearing the adhan, recites this supplication: ﴿اللٰهم ربَّ هذه الدعوةِ التامة والصلٰوة القائمة اٰتِ محمد نالوسيلةَ والفضيلةَ وابعثه مقامًا محمودَنِ الذى وعدتَه﴾ will be deserving of my intercession on the Day of Resurrection. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب الدعاء عندالنداء]
6. Abdullah bin Harith Basri says that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas delivered the (Jumu'ah) sermon to us. That day it was muddy. When the mu'adhdhin was about to say "Hayya 'ala-s-Salah," he instructed him to call out, "As-salatu fi ar-rihal" (Pray in your homes). Upon hearing this, people began to look at each other. Ibn Abbas ؓ said: "This was done by one who was better than me, and there is no doubt that Jumu'ah is obligatory." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب الکلام فی الاذان]
7. Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Bilal ؓ gives the adhan at night (for suhoor), so eat and drink until the son of Umm Maktum gives the adhan." And the son of Umm Maktum (Abdullah) was blind. He would not give the adhan until people said, "Morning has come, morning has come." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب اذان الاعمٰی۔۔]
8. Abu Juhaifah says: I saw Bilal ؓ giving the adhan, and I too began to turn my face here and there in the adhan as he did. [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب ھل یتبع الموذن فاہ]

Ahadith and Rulings Related to Jumu'ah Prayer:

When you migrated to Madinah, the Jumu'ah prayer was initiated. Now, regarding Jumu'ah, consider the following ahadith:
1. Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "On the day of Jumu'ah, ghusl is obligatory on every young person, and to use the miswak, and if possible, to apply perfume." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب الطیب للجمعۃ]
2. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When any of you comes for Jumu'ah prayer, he should perform ghusl." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب فضل الغسل یوم الجمعۃ]
From these two ahadith, it is understood that:
1. Jumu'ah is fard kifayah, not fard 'ayn. It is not obligatory on children, the elderly, women, travelers, or the sick, nor is it obligatory on anyone on a rainy day, as is also clear from hadith number 6 related to the adhan.
2. On the day of Jumu'ah, ghusl is obligatory on every person upon whom Jumu'ah is obligatory; he should perform ghusl and go for prayer, as is clear from the hadith of Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ. However, some scholars have taken the command of the Prophet ﷺ here not as obligatory but as recommended, and their evidence is the hadith of Sayyidah Aisha ؓ in which it is mentioned that people used to come from far and high places. They wore woolen cloaks, and due to dust and sweat, they would emit odor. So the Prophet ﷺ instructed them to bathe before coming. [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
And when such a situation does not exist, then bathing is not obligatory, but it is certainly recommended.
3. Using the miswak and applying perfume is Sunnah and recommended, not obligatory.
4. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ says that you would perform the Jumu'ah prayer when the sun had declined. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب وقت الجمعۃ۔۔]
5. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas ؓ says that as soon as the adhan for Jumu'ah is called, buying and selling becomes haram, and Ata bin Abi Rabah said that every profession (and occupation) becomes haram. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب المشی الی الجمعۃ]
6. Sayyiduna Sa'ib bin Yazid says that in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, and in the time of Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ and Umar ؓ, there used to be only one adhan on the day of Jumu'ah. When the imam would sit on the pulpit. In the time of Sayyiduna Uthman ؓ, when the population of Madinah increased greatly, he added a third adhan (including the iqamah) at Zawra (the name of a place in the market of Madinah). [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب الاذان یوم الجمعۃ]
7. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ would deliver two sermons (khutbahs) on Jumu'ah and would sit between them. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب القعدۃ بین الخطبتین یوم الجمعۃ]
8. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ says that a man came on the day of Jumu'ah while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the sermon. The Prophet ﷺ asked him: "Have you prayed (the tahiyyat al-masjid)?" He said: "No." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Get up and pray two (light) rak'ahs." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب من جاء والامام یخطب صلٰی رکعتین خفیفتین]
9. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ would not pray anything in the mosque after Jumu'ah. When he returned home, he would pray two rak'ahs. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب الصلٰوۃ بعد الجمعۃ و قبلہا]
10. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If you say to your companion on the day of Jumu'ah, 'Be quiet,' while the imam is delivering the sermon, then you have engaged in idle talk." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعۃ۔ باب الانصات یوم الجمعۃ۔۔]
11. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that after the Prophet's Mosque, the first Jumu'ah that was held was in the mosque of Abdul Qais, which was in Jawathi (the name of a place) in Bahrain. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب الجمعۃ فی القریٰ والمدن]
From this, it is understood that Jumu'ah should be performed in every village; being a city is not a condition.
12. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "On the day of Jumu'ah, the angels stand at the door of the congregational mosque and record the names of those who come, one after another. The example of the one who comes first is like the one who offers a camel in sacrifice, then the second like one who offers a cow, then the third like one who offers a ram, then the fourth like one who offers a chicken, then the fifth like one who offers an egg. Then when the imam comes out (for the sermon), the angels close their registers and listen to the sermon." [بخاری۔ کتاب الجمعہ۔ باب الاستماع الی الخطبۃ]
13. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The best day on which the sun rises is the day of Jumu'ah. On this day, Sayyiduna Adam ؑ was created, on this day he was admitted to Paradise, and on this day he was expelled. And the Hour will be established on this day." [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]

Matters Contrary to the Sunnah:

Now we mention some matters contrary to the Sunnah that are found nowadays in our society, and especially among our scholars:
1. The first of these is delaying the time of Jumu'ah. Thus, Iyas bin Salamah bin Akwa', narrating from his father, says that when we would return after performing the Jumu'ah prayer with the Prophet ﷺ, we would not find the shade of the walls to take shelter in. And according to the hadith of Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ, as soon as the sun began to decline, we would perform the Jumu'ah prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه ]

Delay in Performing Jumu'ah Prayer:

From these two ahadith, it is clear that the Prophet ﷺ would finish the Jumu'ah sermon by the time the sun had declined, but among us, it has become common that the Jumu'ah sermon starts well after the sun has declined, and in some mosques, the situation is such that by the time Jumu'ah ends, the time for 'Asr has already begun.

Interval for Sunnah Prayers:

2. In some mosques, especially Hanafi mosques, an interval is given after the first sermon for the Sunnah prayers of Jumu'ah. This is clearly against the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ instructed a latecomer to perform two light rak'ahs during the sermon itself. Therefore, there is no justification for giving an interval for Sunnah prayers after the sermon.

Lengthening the Sermon and Shortening the Prayer:

3. The third matter contrary to the Sunnah is lengthening the sermon and shortening the prayer. Thus, Wasl bin Hayan says that Abu Wa'il said: 'Ammar ؓ gave us a very comprehensive and eloquent sermon. When he descended from the pulpit, we said: "O Abu al-Yaqzan! If only you had made the sermon a bit longer, it would have been better." Then 'Ammar ؓ said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'A man's prolonging the prayer and shortening the sermon is a sign of his understanding. So make the prayer long and the sermon short. And some speech is magic.'" (i.e., a comprehensive and concise statement has the effect of magic) [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
And Jabir bin Samurah ؓ says: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. His prayer was moderate, and his sermon was moderate. [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
Now we need to see how long the Prophet ﷺ's Jumu'ah prayer used to be. Regarding this, Ibn Abi Rafi' says that Marwan appointed Abu Hurairah ؓ as governor in Madinah, and Abu Hurairah ؓ led the Jumu'ah prayer. In the first rak'ah, he recited Surah Jumu'ah, and in the second, Surah Munafiqun. Then I met him and said: "You recited the same surahs that Sayyiduna Ali used to recite in Kufa." Upon this, Abu Hurairah ؓ said: "I myself heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite these surahs on the day of Jumu'ah." (i.e., I recited these surahs not in imitation of Sayyiduna Ali ؓ, but in following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ) [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
And Sayyiduna Luqman bin Bashir ؓ says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite "Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la" and "Hal ataka hadith al-ghashiyah" in Eid and Jumu'ah, and when both Eid and Jumu'ah fell on the same day, he would recite these two surahs in both prayers. [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
This was the state of your moderate prayer, and from your sermons, it is known that none of your sermons ever exceeded twenty minutes. Thus, the Sunnah method is that at most twenty minutes should be spent on the sermon and at least ten minutes on the two rak'ahs of prayer. Now, in comparison, consider the current situation: in the mosques of the Ahl-e-Hadith, who claim to follow the Book and Sunnah in every matter, there will hardly be any mosque where the sermon lasts half an hour. Otherwise, three-quarters of an hour, and in most mosques, an hour is set aside for the sermon, and the Hanafi and especially Barelvi scholars spend an hour and a half or even more on the sermon. This is clearly against the Sunnah. The scholars explain that they have to explain it in the local language or Urdu in addition to Arabic. Even if this is considered, half an hour or at most three-quarters of an hour is quite sufficient, because experience shows that many useful things can be said in a short time. Then, when the preachers spend a long time on the sermon, they compensate by reciting short surahs in Jumu'ah. I have even heard a preacher recite Surah Fil in the first rak'ah and Surah Quraysh in the second rak'ah of Jumu'ah. Thus, both the sermon and the prayer are against the Sunnah: the sermon extremely long and the prayer extremely short. Now, the reaction to this lengthy sermon is that most people come only when the time for Jumu'ah prayer is near. Then the preachers start narrating to these latecomers the hadith that whoever comes first to listen to the Jumu'ah sermon before it starts will get the reward of sacrificing a camel, and the second to come... etc. As if they are not even aware of their own action against the Sunnah, and as a result, they rebuke the latecomers by narrating the hadith. The reason for this lengthy sermon, as I have understood, is that the preachers' real desire is that as many people as possible listen to and appreciate their speech. Therefore, they keep delaying in anticipation of more people. And those coming for Jumu'ah think that the maulvi will take a long time in the sermon, so they will go just before the prayer. Due to this double action, the sermon becomes very long, and then they try to compensate by shortening the prayer.

Style and Subject of the Sermon:

4. The fourth matter contrary to the Sunnah is the style and subject of the sermon. Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ says that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered the sermon, his eyes would become red, his voice would become loud, and his anger would increase, as if he were warning of an army that would attack you morning or evening. And he would say: "I have been sent at a time when I and the Hour are like these two fingers," and he would join his index and middle fingers. Then, after praising Allah, he would say: "The best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of matters are newly invented ones, and every innovation is misguidance." Then he would say: "I am more concerned for every believer than his own self. Whoever leaves wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves debt or small children, then their repayment and care is my responsibility." [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
Also, Umm Hisham bint Harithah bin Nu'man ؓ says: Our oven and the oven of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were one and the same. For two years or a year and some months (i.e., for that long we lived as neighbors), during that time I learned Surah Qaf from the tongue of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself. He would recite it on the pulpit every Jumu'ah when he addressed the people. [مسلم۔ كتاب الجمعه]
From these two ahadith, the following points are illuminated:
1. Your address or speech was passionate, not in a melodious or musical tone, whereas nowadays preachers strive to learn a melodious and musical style. They present not only Quranic verses but also their own words in such a melodious voice that the audience starts swaying and chanting "Subhan Allah, Subhan Allah." And the more such chants are raised, the more the preachers consider it an appreciation of their speech and become elated. And they desire that such chants continue during their speech.
2. During your address, your topics were not limited to one, but were diverse. Thus, your style was not that of a formal speech, but of admonition and advice. You would emphasize adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger, command avoidance of innovations, warn of their consequences, and always begin with praise of Allah. These are the subjects of the Sunnah sermon. The subject of the Jumu'ah sermon is actually "the remembrance of Allah," as stated in this surah: ﴿فَاسْعَوْا اِلٰي ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ﴾ and by "remembrance of Allah" is meant the entire Quran. However, from hadith number 2, it is known that you preferred to recite Surah Qaf in the sermon. If you consider Surah Qaf, it is clear that in it Allah has presented arguments for resurrection, briefly mentioned the fate of some nations who denied the Hereafter, and warned man that his deeds are being recorded and he will be held accountable accordingly. Then there is mention of Paradise and Hell, and at the end of the surah, as a summary, it is said: ﴿فَذَكِّرْ بالْقُرْاٰنِ مَنْ يَّخَافُ وَعِيْدِ﴾ and from hadith number 1, it is also clear that your main subject was to warn people about their fate in the Hereafter, and you would convey this with great passion and fervor. Now see, in our Jumu'ah sermons, admonition, advice, warning, and glad tidings are almost absent. The general practice is to deliver a speech on a single topic, which is permissible if what is said is based on the Book and Sunnah and within its limits. But among us, the Sunnah sermon and a verse or two from the Quran are recited merely for blessing, which the common people do not even understand. Afterwards, stories of the saints, their powers, and miracles are narrated in such a way that if they are not God, then at least they are not less than that. For example, you must have often heard this couplet of Maulana Rumi in Jumu'ah sermons:
Awliya ra hast qudrat az Ilah
Teer jasta baz gardanand z-rah
That is, the saints have such power from Allah that they can bring back an arrow that has already been shot. It should be clear that the polytheists of Makkah also held the same belief about their idols, that the powers they possess are granted by Allah. [مسلم۔ کتاب الحج۔ تلبیۃ المشرکین]
Then their astonishing and terrifying miracles are narrated, upon which the public starts chanting "Subhan Allah." And if someone becomes more enthusiastic, collective chants begin: first "Takbir," then "Risalat," then "Haideri." Now the question is: Did such chanting occur in the mosques of the early generations? And is this not pure innovation?

Our Favorite Topics:

The second favorite topic of our preachers is the propagation and promotion of their sectarian beliefs. These beliefs are not presented in a serious manner, but the opposing party is made the target of sarcasm, ridicule, and reproach, paving the way for sectarian strife. And the more a preacher knows how to heap abuse and reproach on the opposing party, the more he is considered popular and successful among his own people. The preacher who masters this art is in great demand at gatherings and processions and is presented with valuable gifts. The public's taste also becomes such that they prefer a preacher who can deliver a melodious speech and is so skilled in sarcasm that he can tear apart the opposing party. Allah Ta'ala had said: ﴿اِدْفَعْ بالَّتِيْ هِيَ اَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ﴾ but neither our preachers nor our public like this. Is this the remembrance of Allah about which it was said: ﴿فَاسْعَوْا اِلٰي ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ﴾? Moreover, the loudspeaker has become a very effective weapon in the promotion of sectarianism and innovations. When the loudspeaker was invented, the scholars said that Satan speaks through it, so its use was declared forbidden. But today, as soon as a new mosque is built, arranging a loudspeaker is considered essential even before the roof is put on. And every group claims that its benefit is to convey the message of the Book and Sunnah to people's homes. But in practice, it is used to hurl abuse at the other group. If the opposing group has two loudspeaker horns, this group will install four; if they have four, this group will install six. Whereas, for those gathered in the mosque, there is no need for a loudspeaker at all. Then, the temperament of our preachers and scholars has become such that they consider it an insult to deliver a speech without a loudspeaker. Thus, it is commonly observed that only a handful of worshippers are sitting in front, and the preacher is delivering a lesson or Jumu'ah sermon through the loudspeaker. Obviously, in such a situation, there is absolutely no need for a loudspeaker, but what can be done when the Maulana considers it beneath his dignity to deliver a lesson or sermon without a loudspeaker, and its benefit is said to be that his voice is reaching people's homes. In practice, when voices from every direction and every mosque start reaching people's homes, people become fed up and annoyed by such noise and disturbance, and some people even avoid building houses near mosques for this very reason. Then, in society, there are some people who are ill and are greatly troubled by such noise.

Harms of the Loudspeaker:

So, as I was saying, the loudspeaker is a very successful weapon for the promotion of innovations and innovative beliefs and practices. For example, the innovation of reciting salawat before the adhan has gained popularity only because of the loudspeaker. If the use of the loudspeaker were legally banned, this innovation would die out on its own in a short time, because it has no real foundation on which it can survive. The same is true of other innovations, and it has also been observed that where sectarian speeches cause riots, the government bans the use of loudspeakers, and the results are very beneficial, and the sectarian atmosphere subsides. Thus, in today's era, the greatest support for innovations and innovative beliefs is the loudspeaker. And we must admit that the opinion the scholars initially formed about the loudspeaker, that "Satan speaks through it," was to a great extent correct. As for those beliefs and practices that are established from the Book and Sunnah, they have no need for the loudspeaker at all. They can remain alive and established in every era without it, because they are based on strong foundations.

Purpose and Objective of Jumu'ah:

Now, bring before you the last part of the first hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ regarding the subject of the sermon. The Prophet ﷺ said: "I am more concerned for every believer than his own self," from which it is understood that one important purpose of Jumu'ah is the welfare and mutual reform of Muslims, not to hurl abuse at each other, throw stones, and spread sectarian strife to the extent that the public becomes disillusioned with Islam itself. After that, he said: "Whoever leaves wealth, it is for his heirs, and whoever leaves debt or small children, then their repayment and care is my responsibility." From this, it is understood that one important purpose of this gathering of Muslims on Jumu'ah is to review their economic conditions and to arrange for the care of the needy and weak and the repayment of the debts of the indebted. Thus, Jumu'ah was made obligatory so that Muslims could gather in as large a number as possible to listen to the remembrance of Allah, praise Him, consider matters of mutual welfare and reform, review their economic conditions, and arrange for the care of the needy, orphans, widows, and the destitute, so that high moral qualities such as love, kindness, compassion, self-sacrifice, and brotherhood may flourish among them. But the objectives with which we perform Jumu'ah are entirely different, which we fulfill unconsciously and out of habit.