Explanation of Friday Prayer
Virtue of Friday:
❀The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
خير يوم طلعت عليه الشمس يوم الجمعة، فيه خلق آدم وفيه أدخل الجنة وفيه أخرج منها ولا تقوم الساعة إلا فى يوم الجمعة
The best day on which the sun rises is Friday; on this day Adam, peace be upon him, was created, on this day he was admitted to Paradise, on this day he was expelled from Paradise, and the Hour will be established on this day as well.
❀Friday is an Eid for the Muslims. Ibn Zubair, may Allah be pleased with him, said on the day of Friday coinciding with Eid:
عيدان اجتمعا فى يوم واحد
Indeed, two Eids have come together in one day.
And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
سيد الأيام يوم الجمعة
Friday is the leader of all days.
The Hour of Acceptance of Supplication on Friday:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
في يوم الجمعة ساعة لا يوافقها مسلم وهو قائم يصلي يسأل الله تعالى خيرا إلا أعطاه
There is an hour on Friday during which if a Muslim is in the state of prayer and makes a supplication to Allah for good, it will be granted.
And in another hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
هي ما بين أن يجلس الإمام إلى أن تقضى الصلاة
The time for the acceptance of supplication is from when the Imam sits (on the pulpit) until the end of the prayer.
There are two more hadiths related to this hour, in Ibn Majah
and in the authentic hadith of Musnad Ahmad
:
هي آخر ساعات النهار
This is the last hour of the day.
❀ And in the authentic hadith of Abu Dawood
:
فالتمسوها آخر ساعة بعد العصر
Seek it in the last hour after Asr.
So from these various hadiths, it is understood that this hour is one of the hours between the zenith (decline) of the sun and sunset. (And Allah knows best)
The Virtue of Friday Prayer:
❀The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من اغتسل ثم أتى الجمعة فصلى ما قدر له ثم أنصت حتى يفرغ من خطبته ثم يصلي معه غفر له ما بينه وبين الجمعة الأخرى وفضل ثلاثة أيام
Whoever performs ghusl (ritual bath), then comes for Friday prayer and prays according to his ability, then remains silent until the sermon is finished, and then prays with the Imam, his sins from the previous Friday to this Friday and three more days are forgiven.
❀And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
من غسل يوم الجمعة واغتسل ثم بكر وابكر ومشى ولم يركب ودنا من الإمام فاستمع ولم يلغ كان له بكل خطوة عمل سنة أجر صيامها وقيامها
Whoever performs ghusl on Friday and does it well, then goes early to the mosque, walks on foot and does not ride, sits near the Imam, listens to the sermon attentively, and does not engage in any idle talk, will receive the reward of fasting for a year and standing in prayer during its nights for every step he takes.
❀And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
Whoever performs ghusl from janabah (major impurity) on Friday and then goes to the mosque, it is as if he has given a camel in charity; whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he has given a cow in charity; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he has given a horned ram in charity; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he has given a chicken in charity; and whoever goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he has given an egg in charity. Then when the Imam comes to the pulpit, the angels close their registers and come to the mosque to listen to the sermon.
Obligation of Friday Prayer:
❀The command of Allah Almighty is:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
❀The command of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is:
على كل محتلم رواح الجمعة
It is obligatory for every adult person to attend Friday prayer.
People exempted from the obligation of Friday prayer:
❀Friday prayer is not obligatory for slaves, women, children, and the sick. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
الجمعة حق واجب على كل مسلم فى جماعة إلا أربعة: عبد مملوك، أو امرأة، أو صبي، أو مريض
Friday prayer is obligatory on every Muslim in congregation, except for four types of people: slaves, women, children, and the sick.
❀All the above-mentioned people are permitted to attend Friday prayer, and if it is possible for them to perform Friday prayer, they should do so for their own training. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, all these people used to attend Friday prayer.
The conditions for women attending Friday prayer are the same as those for attending the mosque for regular prayers.
There is no authentic hadith evidence for performing the Zuhr prayer as a precaution along with Friday prayer; it is not permissible.
Dismissal of Friday Prayer:
❀ It is permissible to skip Friday prayer in the following situations:
➊ While traveling. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, did not perform Friday prayer in the plain of Arafat during Hajj, but instead prayed Dhuhr.
➋ In a state of fear.
➌ If it is difficult to go to the mosque due to rain.
➍ If Eid and Friday fall on the same day, those who want to pray Eid are excused from Friday prayer. However, the Imam should still lead the Friday prayer so that those who want to pray Friday are not deprived.
❀ Those who are unable to attend Friday prayer should perform Dhuhr prayer.
Skipping Friday prayer without a valid Shariah excuse:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لينتهين أقوام عن ودعهم الجمعات أو ليختمن الله على قلوبهم ثم ليكونن من الغافلين
People should stop neglecting Friday prayer, otherwise Allah will seal their hearts, and then they will become heedless.
❀ And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
من ترك ثلاث جمع تهاونا بها طبع الله على قلبه
Whoever misses three Fridays out of laziness, Allah will seal his heart.
❀ And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لقد هممت أن آمر رجلا يصلي بالناس ثم أحرق على رجال يتخلفون عن الجمعة بيوتهم
Indeed, I intended to order someone to lead the prayer, then go and burn the houses of those who neglect Friday prayer without excuse.
Recitation of Fajr Prayer on Friday:
❀ Our Master Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite Surah As-Sajdah and Surah Al-Insan in the Fajr prayer on Friday.
Recitation of Surah Al-Kahf on Friday:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إن من قرأ سورة الكهف يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بين الجمعتين
Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, will be granted light from that Friday to the next Friday.
Prohibitions on the Day of Friday:
❀ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لا يصوم أحدكم يوم الجمعة إلا يوما قبله أو بعده
“None of you should fast on the day of Friday, but if he wants, he may fast a day before or a day after it.”
❀ The night of Friday should not be specifically dedicated to worship. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لا تختصوا ليلة الجمعة بقيام من بين الليالي
“Do not make the night of Friday a night of vigil.”
Where can the Friday prayer be performed?:
There is no condition for the obligation of Friday prayer; it is only obligatory for Muslims who are capable to perform Friday prayer. Allah Almighty has stated without any specification:
“O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.”
❀ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said without mentioning any condition:
على كل محتلم رواح الجمعة
“Friday prayer is obligatory upon every adult person.”
Some people have imposed many conditions for Friday prayer, such as there must be an Islamic government, the city must be Islamic, at least forty people must gather for Friday prayer. If even one of these conditions is missing, then Friday prayer will not be valid. All these conditions are self-imposed; they have no connection with the Book and Sunnah, rather they are against the Shariah evidences. Let us examine these conditions critically.
Friday in Non-Muslim Countries:
The presence of an Islamic government is not a condition for holding Jumu’ah; rather, Jumu’ah can be held wherever Muslims are present and capable of performing it, whether in an Islamic country or a non-Islamic one. The following narrations testify to this:
➊ Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) states: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was permitted to perform Jumu’ah before the Hijrah (in Mecca), but due to the intense opposition of the disbelievers, it was not possible for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to perform Jumu’ah in Mecca. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) wrote a letter to Mus’ab ibn Umair (may Allah be pleased with him), who was his representative in Medina, ordering him to perform Jumu’ah, and so Sayyiduna Mus’ab (may Allah be pleased with him) started Jumu’ah in Medina.”
➋ Sayyiduna As’ad ibn Zurara (may Allah be pleased with him) had already started Jumu’ah in the settlement of Banu Bayadha, one mile from Medina, before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
➌ The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led the first Jumu’ah in the settlement of Banu Salim.
These three narrations above testify that the presence of an Islamic government is not essential for performing Jumu’ah, because at that time the initial features of an Islamic government were not even established in Medina. If someone says that Jumu’ah was not performed in Mecca due to the absence of an Islamic government, the answer is found in the hadith that the reason for not performing Jumu’ah in Mecca was that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have the strength and capability to do so, not because an Islamic government was not established.
Friday in Villages, etc.:
It is not necessary for a city to hold Friday prayer; rather, Friday prayer can be held anywhere Muslims are present and capable of performing it, whether it is a city or a settlement consisting of a few houses. The mention of Friday prayer in Bani Bayadha and Banu Salim has already passed; further evidence is as follows:
➊ After the Prophet’s Mosque, Friday prayer was first started in the village of “Jawathi” in Bahrain, in the mosque of Abd Qais.
➋ Based on a hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Raziq bin Hakim رضي الله عنه ordered Ibn Shahab to lead Friday prayer for the workers in his field.
➌ When Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه from Bahrain asking about Friday prayer, Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه replied:
جمعوا حيثما كنتم
“Wherever you are residing, perform Friday prayer there.”
➍ The trustworthy and precise scholar Imam Laith bin Saad رحمه الله states: “In every city and village where there is a congregation for prayer, the residents are commanded to perform Friday prayer. The people of the city and its coastal areas used to perform Friday prayer during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه, and the companions رضي الله عنهم were present in both the city and the coastal villages.”
Therefore, from the above narrations, it is established that in villages, fields, or wherever Muslims are present and capable of performing Friday prayer, they should perform it. Contrary to this, some people hold the view that Friday prayer is not permissible in villages; a city is necessary for Friday prayer, and according to them, a city is one whose large mosque cannot accommodate all those upon whom Friday prayer is obligatory, even if they do not currently attend that mosque.
Their evidence is the statement of Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه:
لا جمعة ولا تشريق إلا فى مصر جامع
“Friday and Eid prayers can only be held in a city.”
This is the statement of Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه, which opposes the statements of Sayyiduna Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه, Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما, Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه, and other companions رضي الله عنهم, and is also contrary to the aforementioned mursal narrations. How can it be accepted against the mursal narrations? The very reason that those who accept these arguments themselves now lead Friday prayers in villages is sufficient to prove the invalidity of these arguments.
Friday Prayer in the Field:
❀ It is not necessary for there to be a mosque to perform the Friday prayer; Friday prayer can be offered at any place where people can gather. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself led the first Friday prayer in the settlement of Banu Salim.
Friday Prayer on a Ship:
❀ Due to being travelers, Friday prayer is not obligatory for those on a ship, but if they wish to perform it, they may do so, because if other prayers can be performed there, then Friday prayer can also be performed.
Friday Prayer in Military Camps:
❀ It is permissible to perform the Friday prayer in military cantonments. Allah Almighty has commanded all Muslims to attend Friday prayer in Surah Al-Jumu’ah.
“O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu’ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.”
In the Hadith, certain people (women, children, slaves, the sick) are exempted from attending Friday prayer, but there is no mention of military cantonments. Some people have imposed the condition that Friday prayer can only be held in places where the general public is allowed to come. This condition is not found anywhere in the Quran or Sunnah, therefore it holds no validity.
Number of worshippers required for Friday prayer:
Some scholars have determined the number of worshippers required for holding Jumu’ah, and there is disagreement among them. Some set the condition at forty, some at twelve, some say three, and some say only one follower is necessary. Allama Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“There is no specific number prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah for holding Jumu’ah. If any hadith imposes a numerical condition, it is weak.”
❀ Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Jumu’ah is like the regular prayer; just as there is no condition of number for the regular prayer, similarly, there is no condition for Jumu’ah. As long as there is a preacher and listeners present, Jumu’ah will be established.”
The presence of the ruler of the time for the Jumu’ah sermon:
❀ Some people have stipulated that for Friday prayer it is necessary that the ruler of the time leads it, or it should be the appointed preacher, or that he has given permission. This condition is also not proven from the Quran and Sunnah, and those who impose this condition are themselves opposing it today.
Time of Friday Prayer:
❀ Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه says:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا اشتد البرد بكر بالصلاة ، وإذا اشتد الحر أبرد بالصلاة يعني الجمعة
“If the cold was intense, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would perform the Friday prayer early, but when the heat was intense, he would shorten the prayer.”
❀ Sayyiduna Salmah bin Al-Akwa رضي الله عنه says:
كنا نجمع مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا زالت الشمس
“We used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as soon as the sun declined.”
❀ And Salmah bin Al-Akwa رضي الله عنه also says: “We used to pray the Friday prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then when we returned, the shadows of the walls were not enough for us to rest in.”
The Issue of the Adhan for Friday Prayer:
❀ During the time of Prophethood, there was only one Adhan for Jumu’ah. Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه says:
أن الآذان يوم الجمعة كان أوله حين يجلس الإمام يوم الجمعة على المنبر فى عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما، فلما كان فى خلافة عثمان وكثروا أمر عثمان يوم الجمعة بالآذان الثالث فأذن به على الزوراء فثبت الأمر على ذلك
“During the time of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and the caliphates of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنھما, the first Adhan for Jumu’ah (and the second Adhan is the Iqamah) was given when the Imam sat on the pulpit. Then, during the caliphate of Uthman رضي الله عنه, when the population of Madinah increased, by the order of Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه, an Adhan began to be given at Maqam Zura’a before the Jumu’ah Adhan, and later this practice continued.”
The purpose of this Adhan was to alert people that the time for Jumu’ah was near, so that they could wrap up their business and prepare themselves. It cannot be called an innovation (Bid’ah), because it was an administrative matter of Uthman Ghani رضي الله عنه. If such a situation arises today, one Adhan can be given outside the mosque in some place before the Jumu’ah Adhan, but two Adhans inside the mosque should be avoided. (And Allah knows best)
