Introduction

We love to be in the congregation of the Friday Prayer. Let’s discuss few Ayats and Authentic Hadiths regarding our Jummah Day:

We have one complete Surah dedicated for this day known as Surah Al-Jumu’ah.

Origin of the day:

We are Created – Descended – Will be Resurrected on this day

According to Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayer – Friday, Hadith 27, Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

THE BEST DAY ON WHICH THE SUN HAS RISEN IS FRIDAY; ON IT ADAM WAS CREATED. ON IT HE WAS MADE TO ENTER PARADISE, ON IT HE WAS EXPELLED FROM IT. AND THE LAST HOUR WILL TAKE PLACE ON NO DAY OTHER THAN FRIDAY.

So, this is the day of the Creation of human being. On this day we Descended on earth. And, we will be Resurrected on this day. Standing on the congregation is like a simulation of the day of resurrection, all standing in front of Allah (swt).

Jews and Christians changed this day to Saturday and Sunday

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 1, Narrated by Abu Huraira:

I HEARD ALLAH’S MESSENGER (ﷺ) SAYING, “WE (MUSLIMS) ARE THE LAST (TO COME) BUT (WILL BE) THE FOREMOST ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION THOUGH THE FORMER NATIONS WERE GIVEN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES BEFORE US. AND THIS WAS THEIR DAY (FRIDAY) THE CELEBRATION OF WHICH WAS MADE COMPULSORY FOR THEM BUT THEY DIFFERED ABOUT IT. SO ALLAH GAVE US THE GUIDANCE FOR IT (FRIDAY) AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE BEHIND US IN THIS RESPECT: THE JEWS’ (HOLY DAY IS) TOMORROW (I.E. SATURDAY) AND THE CHRISTIANS’ (IS) THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (I.E. SUNDAY).”

So, according to the original Holy Scriptures of the Jews (Tawrat) and Christians (Injil) this day was their mandatory day of celebration, which is either forgotten or changed deliberately.

Things we should know:

No Business Transaction is Permissible after Adhan

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.

{Surah AL-Jumuah, Ayat 9}

So, any nature of business/worldly transaction is completely restricted in the time between the adhan and the prayer.

N.B. Please note that, this azan may be considered as the closest Azan just before starting the Arabic Khutbah in the masjid.

Neglecting Jummah prayer will cause sealing of heart

According to Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayer – Friday, Hadith 52, Abdullah b. Umar and Abu Huraira said that they heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) say:

PEOPLE MUST CEASE TO NEGLECT THE FRIDAY PRAYER OR ALLAH WILL SEAL THEIR HEARTS AND THEN THEY WILL BE AMONG THE NEGLIGENT.

So, we must not skip the Jummah prayer or else our hearts might get sealed by Allah (swt).

Prescribed ways of the celebration:

Mandatory Bath

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 2, Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:

ALLAH’S MESSENGER (ﷺ) SAID, “ANYONE OF YOU ATTENDING THE FRIDAY (PRAYERS) SHOULD TAKE A BATH.”

So, it is mandatory for us to take a bath on Friday before our Jummah Prayer.

Do not Run just Walk

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 32, Narrated Abu Huraira:

HEARD ALLAH’S MESSENGER (ﷺ) SAYING, “IF THE PRAYER IS STARTED DO NOT RUN FOR IT BUT JUST WALK FOR IT CALMLY AND PRAY WHATEVER YOU GET, AND COMPLETE WHATEVER IS MISSED.

So, we should not Run to Masjid, even if we are late. We should walk calmly towards Masjid.

Coming Masjid Early

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 6, Narrated Abu Huraira:

ALLAH’S MESSENGER (ﷺ) SAID, “ANY PERSON WHO TAKES A BATH ON FRIDAY LIKE THE BATH OF JANABA AND THEN GOES FOR THE PRAYER (IN THE FIRST HOUR I.E. EARLY), IT IS AS IF HE HAD SACRIFICED A CAMEL (IN ALLAH’S CAUSE); AND WHOEVER GOES IN THE SECOND HOUR IT IS AS IF HE HAD SACRIFICED A COW; AND WHOEVER GOES IN THE THIRD HOUR, THEN IT IS AS IF HE HAD SACRIFICED A HORNED RAM; AND IF ONE GOES IN THE FOURTH HOUR, THEN IT IS AS IF HE HAD SACRIFICED A HEN; AND WHOEVER GOES IN THE FIFTH HOUR THEN IT IS AS IF HE HAD OFFERED AN EGG. WHEN THE IMAM COMES OUT (I.E. STARTS DELIVERING THE KHUTBA), THE ANGELS PRESENT THEMSELVES TO LISTEN TO THE KHUTBA.”

So, whoever goes to Friday prayer early will have the return of sacrificing a camel and the later will have the return of sacrificing a cow → a ram → a hen → an egg.

Tahayyat-ul-Masjid

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 54, Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:

A PERSON ENTERED THE MOSQUE WHILE THE PROPHET (ﷺ) WAS DELIVERING THE KHUTBA ON A FRIDAY. THE PROPHET (ﷺ) SAID TO HIM, “HAVE YOU PRAYED?” THE MAN REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE. THE PROPHET (ﷺ) SAID, “GET UP AND PRAY TWO RAK`AT.”

So, we should pray 2 rakah of Tahayyat-ul-Masjid entering the Masjid

No-talk between Khutbah

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 58, Narrated Abu Huraira:

ALLAH’S MESSENGER (ﷺ) (P.B.U.H) SAID, “WHEN THE IMAM IS DELIVERING THE KHUTBA, AND YOU ASK YOUR COMPANION TO KEEP QUIET AND LISTEN, THEN NO DOUBT YOU HAVE DONE AN EVIL ACT.”

So, we must not talk between each other while the Khutbah is on

Do not Stand-up Early

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 33, Narrated `Abdullah bin Abi Qatada:

THE PROPHET (P.B.U.H) SAID, “DO NOT STAND UP (FOR PRAYER) UNLESS YOU SEE ME, AND OBSERVE CALMNESS AND SOLEMNITY”.

So, we must not stand up for Namaz before the Imam concludes his khutbah and himself stand up first. Many of us stands up early as we all know the ending speeches of the khutbah.

Prayer after Jumu`ah

According to Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayer – Friday, Hadith 86, Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

WHEN ANY ONE OF YOU OBSERVES THE JUMU’A PRAYER (TWO OBLIGATORY RAK’AHS IN CONGREGATION), HE SHOULD OBSERVE FOUR (RAK’AHS) AFTERWARDS.

So, we should pray 4 rakah after our obligatory 2 rakah prayer.

Sins between Fridays are Erased

According to Sahih Muslim, The Book of Prayer – Friday, Hadith 37, Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

HE WHO TOOK A BATH AND THEN CAME FOR JUMU’A PRAYER AND THEN PRAYED WHAT WAS FIXED FOR HIM, THEN KEPT SILENCE TILL THE IMAM FINISHED THE SERMON, AND THEN PRAYED ALONG WITH HIM, HIS SINS BETWEEN THAT TIME AND THE NEXT FRIDAY WOULD BE FORGIVEN, AND EVEN OF THREE DAYS MORE.

So, completion of our Jummah prayer as prescribed, erases our sins for the next week.

Afternoon nap is a Sunnah

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer, Hadith 64, Narrated Anas:

WE USED TO OFFER THE JUMUA PRAYER EARLY AND THEN HAVE THE AFTERNOON NAP.

So, you may have a nice afternoon nap following the Sunnah.

Studying Surah Al-Kahf every Friday

In Sahih Sunan Al-Kubra, Hadith Number 5856, it is mentioned that:

“Whoever recites the chapter of the cave (surah al-kahf) on the day of Friday will have a light for him between this Friday and the next.”

It’s a pretty good surah with 4 beautiful stories with great stories lessons, you can get through it’s translations sometime.