Know Your Friday Prayer
Allah has chosen Friday to be the best day of the week. On this day, Allah created Prophet Adam (عليه السلام) and sent him to this world along with his wife, Hawa (عليها السلام). It is also narrated that Resurrection will occur on Friday. Due to its virtue and significance of the acts performed on this day, Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has called it an ‘Eid’ for Muslims (Sunan ibn Maajah, Hadith 1098). One of the most distinguished deeds performed on this day is the Jumu’ah (Friday) prayer.
The obligation of praying Jumu’ah prayer in congregation has been ordained as a manifestation of escalating God-consciousness in Muslim community and to bolster the principles of Islam through social interaction in a pious aura. Allah commands the believers,” 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. That is better for you, if you only knew.” (The Qur’an, 62:9). Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has warned the ummah about the effects of neglecting Jumu’ah prayer saying, “People must cease to neglect the Friday prayer or Allah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the negligent.” (Muslim, hadith 865). In fact, the magnitude of the reward can be estimated from the narration in which Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Whoever does ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imaam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.” (at-tirmidhi, hadith 496)
Jumu’ah prayer is to be performed in congregation only. It is an individual duty for every legally competent, free and resident male Muslim as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has mentioned, “It is necessary for every adult (person) to go for (saying) Friday (prayer)” (abu-Dawūd, hadith 342). However, four exceptions have been made by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) who are exempted from praying the Jumu’ah prayer. They are a slave, a woman, a boy and a sick person (abu-Dawūd, hadith 1062). In other narration, this exemption has also been made for a traveller (ad-daraqutni,1560).
The validation of Jumu’ah prayer is subject to certain conditions as mentioned below:
1. Prescribed Time: In the same way as other regular prayers, Jumu’ah prayer is necessarily to be offered in its due time as Allah says, “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” (The Qur’an, 4:103). Jumu’ah prayer is to be offered during midday, at the time of Zuhr. However, it is preferable to start the prayer post-meridian i.e. when the sun has crossed its zenith. Although, the end time is akin to that of regular zuhr prayer.
2. Being a resident and catching at least one rakah: Jumu’ah prayer is prescribed for the residents of the area and not the travellers or those people who reside temporarily in tents and are on the move continuously since the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not order the nomads of medina to offer the Jumu’ah prayer. Moreover, for a person to catch the Jumu’ah prayer, it is obligatory for him to offer at least one rak’ah with the congregation as the prophet has said, “Whoever could get one rak’ah of the Jumu’ah prayer (in its proper time) has got the prayer” (Muslim, hadith 1370).
3. Two sermons: It is narrated from the authentic sources that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to deliver two sermons while standing and sit in between them (al-Bukhārī, hadith 580). As noted by Dr. Saalih al-fawzaan (May Allah bless him), it is mandatory that the sermons should include the two testifications of faith, blessings upon the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), recitation of the Quran and good instructions encouraging the community towards righteousness.
Jumu’ah prayer is not considered as alternate to the regular zuhr prayer but an independent obligation upon the Muslims and, thus, it is not considered acceptable for a person to offer zuhr instead of Jumu’ah prayer without any legal excuse. This is supported by the statement of Umar (رضي الله عنه) regarding the Jumu’ah prayer comprising of two rak’ah and being complete in and of itself, not as a result of shortening zuhr prayers. Furthermore, as mentioned in the above narrations, Jumu’ah prayer is much more stressed than the zuhr prayer and a stern warning has been given to those whose miss it repeatedly. There are certain special legal duties to be performed in Jumu’ah prayer which are not a part of regular zuhr prayer such as the two sermons.
It is also very important to mention that Muslims are prohibited from talking when the sermons are being delivered by the Imaam. The prohibition is mentioned in both Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah says (The Qur’an, 7:204), “So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.” Since the sermons mostly comprise of the Qur’anic verses, thus, making it generally impermissible for anyone to intervene or talk in-between. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has also mentioned, “When the Imam is delivering the Khutba (sermon), and you ask your companion to keep quiet and listen, then no doubt you have done an evil act." (al-Bukhārī, p. 934). It is quite clear that the prohibition which applies to merely shushing someone also applies, in a more stringent manner, to talking. Thus, it is considered sinful to hush the fellow Muslims, raise one’s voice to seek Allah’s refuge or invoke His mercy and the like.
Therefore, considering the immense rewards of offering Jumu’ah prayer, Muslims should strive hard for complete realisation of all the mentioned good deeds and shun all detestable acts of this prayer as outlined by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They should prepare themselves for this weekly ‘Eid’, leave early for the prayers, listen to the sermons quietly and keenly, and offer the prayers with attention and contemplation so as to benefit from this opportunity and attain salvation in the hereafter.
Published by: Rising Kashmir
Date: 23rd November 2018