FRIDAY Jum'uah Prayers

SUNAN PRAYERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE JUMU’AH FRIDAY PRAYER

FIQH OF THE FRIDAY PRAYER (J.ZARABOZO)

The Friday Prayer is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. Allah has vouchsafed wonderful blessings and benefits through this magnificent act. Hence Muslims should do their best and strive and sacrifice for the sake of this prayer by performing it in the best way possible.

.919-Truly he succeeds that purifies it 91:10- And he fails that corrupts it! 6153

Prophet (Sal) said: “ There are three types of people who attend the Friday Prayer. One is a man who is present but speaks during the Khutbah and that is his portion of the prayer. Second is a man who is present and makes supplications. In his case, Allah may give him what he asks, if He wishes, or He may not give him what he asks. Third is a person who is present and observes silence and does not step over the necks of the Muslims nor does he harm anyone. For him, there is an expiation from that Friday until the previous Friday plus an additional three days.

One should do his best to fulfill a number of acts and then, upon doing so, the Friday Prayer will be an expiation for him for ten days of deeds.

62:9 - O ye who believe! when the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly) hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business (and traffic): that is best for you if ye but knew! 5461

5461Friday, is primarily the Day of Assembly, the weekly meeting of the Congregation, when we show our unity by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a Khutba, in which the Imam (or Leader) reviews the week's life of the Community and offers advice and exhortation on good living. Notice the gradations of social contact for Muslims if they followed the wise ordinances of their Faith. (1) Each individual remembers Allah for himself or herself five or more times every day in the home or place of business, or local mosque, or open air, as the case may be. (2) On Friday in every week there is a local meeting in the central mosque of each local centre,-it may be a village, or town, or ward of a big city. (3) At the two 'Ids every year, there is a large local area meeting in one centre. (4) Once at least in a lifetime, where possible, a Muslim shares in the vast international assemblage of the world, in the centre of Islam, at the Makkan Pilgrimage. A happy combination of decentralisation and centralisation, of individual liberty and collective meeting, and contact at various stages or grades. The mechanical part of this ordinance is easy to carry out. Are we carrying out the more difficult part?-the spirit of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action? (62.9)

Salman al-Farisi narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Anyone who takes a bath on Friday, oils his hair or scents himself, does not force his way between two persons sitting together in the mosque..and remains quiet while the Imam delivers the Khutbah, all his sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven.” (al-Bukhari)

*Going early to the Friday Prayer Not run or rush. Preferred to walk.(Al-Nawawi,Majmu,vol.2,p.536 & Ahmad, Abu Dawud &others)

*Not Making someone stand and then taking his place. (al-Bukhari)

*Avoid stepping over people to get to a place in the mosque. The Prophet (Sal) saw a man stepping over the people’s neck while he was delivering a Khutbah and he told the man, “Sit down. You have harmed the people and have come late.” (Abu Dawud & others)

Not clasping one’s hands and intertwining one’s fingers while waiting for the Prayer. (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi & others

*Sitting close to the Imam (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasai, ibn majah, ibn Khuzaima, ibn Hibban,al-Hakim) ….It is a dreadful sight when even those who come to the mosque early do not sit in the front rows waiting for the prayer. Instead, they prefer to sit in the back of the mosque to lean against the wall or talk to their friends. The Prophet (Sal) said : “People will continue to withdraw to rows behind the first one until Allah puts them in a back place in Hell.”(Abu Dawud)

Fiqh-us-Sunnah

Fiqh 2.63a

The positioning of the young and the women

The Messenger of Allah placed the men in front of the young boys and the women behind the young boys. This is related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.

SUNNAH PRAYERS BEFORE THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Fiqh-us-Sunnah

Figh 2.144a

Nawaf ’I before al-Jumu’ah

Concerning any sunnah prayer before the Friday salah, Ibn Taimiyyah writes: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam never offered any salah after the adhan and before the Friday salah, and no one has ever related such an act from him.

The majority of the early scholars, including Imams Malik, al-Shafi’I and Ahmad, never stated that there is any such thing as a specific sunnah prayer before the Friday Prayer. Instead of a specific sunnah prayer before the Friday Prayer, the person is free to pray whatever he wishes of a voluntary nature. But to claim that such prayers are sunnah is incorrect and is tantamount to creating an innovation in the religion

For any prayer to be considered sunnah, it must be confirmed that the Prophet (Sal) either did it or approved of it. No one can establish a sunnah prayer except the Prophet (Sal). If anyone claims that a particular prayer is sunnah, the burden of proof is upon him to show that the Prophet (Sal) performed it.

The Muslims of today have become – save for those whom your Lord has had mercy on – two types: One type prays all of his prayers, including the voluntary prayers, in the mosque and the other type prays all of his prayers, including the obligatory prayers, in the house. One is extreme and the other is too lax. The correct guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace be upon him). He would pray the obligatory prayers in the mosque and his voluntary prayers in his house with the exception of the tahiyyat al-masjid prayer which can only be prayed in the mosque.(Wanaly,p.184)

However, it is best or preferred to say the sunnah prayers in one’s own house and not in the mosque, if possible and feasible. The Prophet (Sal) said: “The best prayer of a person is his prayer in his house, except for the obligatory prayers. (al-Nasai & others) “The similitude of a house wherein Allah’s name is mentioned and that wherein Allah’s name is not mentioned is like the living and the dead.” (al-Bukhari/Muslim). Unfortunetely, this is a sunnah that is forgotten by many today.!

SUNNAH PRAYERS AFTER THE FRIDAY PRAYER

IBN Umar said :The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never prayed after the Friday prayer until he departed (from the mosque ) and he would then pray two rakats at home) recorded by al-Bukhari

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "After the Prophet finished the Jumu'ah, he would enter his house and pray two rak'at, and he ordered those who prayed the Jumu'ah to pray four rak'at after it.

Our sheikh Ibn Taimiyyah says: 'When he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four [rak'at], and when he prayed in his house, he would pray two rak'at.' I say: this is what the hadith is pointing to. Abu Dawud records from ibn 'Umar that when he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four rak'at, and when he prayed in his house, he would pray two rak'at. Also, in the two Sahihs it is reported from ibn 'Umar that the Prophet would pray two rak'at in his house after the Friday salah."

Unfortunately, what occurs in many mosques is that they first make an early call to prayer. Then, the people who were sitting and reading the Quran or making dhikr, will immediately get up and start praying something they call a sunnah prayer. Again, there is no such sunnah prayer and this act is an innovation. In most cases, this is done out of ignorance and therefore, these people must be told that they are praying “a sunnah prayer” that has no source in the sunnah!

COMMON MISTAKES AND INNOVATIONS RELATED TO THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Mistakes are actions that people do out of ignorance not knowing that what they are doing is wrong. Upon seeing what is correct, they should eagerly and quickly change their habits and follow what is correct.

INNOVATIONS is much more dangerous for a person’s religion. In following what is wrong, he believes and insists that what he is doing is correct and is pleasing to Allah! “Innovations are worse and more harmful than sins Because the person who performs or follows innovations believes them to be true and obedience to Allah but this is a lie against Allah and it is a position concerning His religion that is not based on any fact and it is very rare that such an innovator should repent.” This is why ibn Taimiya has stated that innovations are MORE EVIL THAN ADULTERY, THEFT AND DRINKING ALCOHOL.

As al-Albani once wrote:

: A Muslim does not complete his getting closer to Allah except by avoiding such innovations. This is not possible unless he knows them individually. Otherwise he will fall into innovations without realizing it. This can be witnessed from many Muslims who seek to approach Allah by actions which are the greatest types of SHIRK, such as making vows to the pious and righteous people, swearing by them, circumambulating their graves, building mosques upon their graves and other actions which are well-known to be acts of shirk according to the scholars. Therefore, it is not sufficient to worship by just knowing what is the sunnah. But one must also know what is its opposite in innovations.

Prophet (Sal) has said: “ For whoever says there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and denies whatever is worshipped besides Allah, his wealth and blood will be protected and his reckoning will be with Allah.” (Muslim)

FEW SUCH MISTAKES AND INNOVATIONS:

1, Beautifying oneself in ways that are not Islamically acceptable, such as shaving one’s beard, men wearing silk or gold, imitating the disbelievers in their best attire.

2. Intentionally wearing an imamah (turban) as an act of worship,

3. The Imam standing at the bottom of the minbar making supplications

4. Saying Azan in the mosque in front of the Khateeb.

5. The Khateeb leaning on a sword or a wooden sword during the Khutbah.

6. To read Surah al-Ikhlas three times while the Imam sits between the two Khutbahs.

7. People supplicating and raising their hands while the Imam sits between the two Khutbahs.

8. The Khateeb being silent after making supplications in order for the congregation to say, “Ameen”, after his supplications.

9. The Khateeb raising his hands while making supplications during the Khutbah,

10. The congregation raising their hands and saying, “Ameen”, while the Khateeb is making supplications.The Hanafi scholar ibn Abideen said that if they raise their hands, they are certainly sinners. (Quoted in Salman, p.394)

11. Prolonging the Khutbah and making the prayer short.

12. Performing the Dhur Prayer after praying the Friday Prayer.

13. Performing two rakats of “sunnah” after the first call to Prayer,

14. Wiping one’s hand over the Khateeb as he comes down from the minbar in order to get blessings.

15. The congregation wiping their faces with their hands after the Khateeb has finished his supplications.

16. Performing the sunnah prayer right after finishing the Friday Prayer without speaking or moving to another place in the mosque, thus making a break without connecting one prayer with another.

17. Using the miswak during the Imam’s delivering of the Khutbah,

18. Playing with pebbles, rosary beads or whatever during the Khutbah.

19. Avoid separating two persons standing up for prayers by creeping in between them.

20. Performing prayers between the two khutbhas while the Imam is sitting.

21. Making Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in congregation after the prayer or reciting Surah-al-Fatihah aloud after the prayer.

22. To recite Surahs al-Fatihah,Ikhlas, Falaq, and Nass, 7 times each before moving after the Friday Prayer.(This is based on a fabricated Hadith –see al-Albani, Dhaeef al-Jami al-Sagbeer 1988 p.830)

23. The newly wed not attending the Friday Prayer etc.

(See al-Albani,al-Ajuba,pp.65-75, Wanaly,pp312-348 etc)

72:14 - `Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to Allah) and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills they have sought out (the path) of right conduct: 5738

5738 - Any one who responds to true Guidance, and submits his will to Allah, finds that he makes rapid progress in the path of right conduct and right life. He gets more and more assurance that his destination is the Garden of Bliss. (72.14)

72:15 - those who swerve they are (but) fuel for Hell Fire ' 5739

May Allah enable everyone to draw benefit from this and consider this effort as exclusive to Him. :

O Allah, make me grateful to Thee, mindful of Thee, full of fear towards Thee, devoted to Thy obedience, humble before Thee, or penitent. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sin, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make true my tongue and draw out malice in my breast."

SUNAN PRAYERS BEFORE AND AFTER THE JUMU’AH FRIDAY PRAYER

FIQH OF THE FRIDAY PRAYER (J.ZARABOZO)

The Friday Prayer is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. Allah has vouchsafed wonderful blessings and benefits through this magnificent act. Hence Muslims should do their best and strive and sacrifice for the sake of this prayer by performing it in the best way possible.

.919-Truly he succeeds that purifies it 91:10- And he fails that corrupts it! 6153

Prophet (Sal) said: “ There are three types of people who attend the Friday Prayer. One is a man who is present but speaks during the Khutbah and that is his portion of the prayer. Second is a man who is present and makes supplications. In his case, Allah may give him what he asks, if He wishes, or He may not give him what he asks. Third is a person who is present and observes silence and does not step over the necks of the Muslims nor does he harm anyone. For him, there is an expiation from that Friday until the previous Friday plus an additional three days.

One should do his best to fulfill a number of acts and then, upon doing so, the Friday Prayer will be an expiation for him for ten days of deeds.

62:9 - O ye who believe! when the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly) hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business (and traffic): that is best for you if ye but knew! 5461

5461Friday, is primarily the Day of Assembly, the weekly meeting of the Congregation, when we show our unity by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a Khutba, in which the Imam (or Leader) reviews the week's life of the Community and offers advice and exhortation on good living. Notice the gradations of social contact for Muslims if they followed the wise ordinances of their Faith. (1) Each individual remembers Allah for himself or herself five or more times every day in the home or place of business, or local mosque, or open air, as the case may be. (2) On Friday in every week there is a local meeting in the central mosque of each local centre,-it may be a village, or town, or ward of a big city. (3) At the two 'Ids every year, there is a large local area meeting in one centre. (4) Once at least in a lifetime, where possible, a Muslim shares in the vast international assemblage of the world, in the centre of Islam, at the Makkan Pilgrimage. A happy combination of decentralisation and centralisation, of individual liberty and collective meeting, and contact at various stages or grades. The mechanical part of this ordinance is easy to carry out. Are we carrying out the more difficult part?-the spirit of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action? (62.9)

Salman al-Farisi narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Anyone who takes a bath on Friday, oils his hair or scents himself, does not force his way between two persons sitting together in the mosque..and remains quiet while the Imam delivers the Khutbah, all his sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven.” (al-Bukhari)

*Going early to the Friday Prayer Not run or rush. Preferred to walk.(Al-Nawawi,Majmu,vol.2,p.536 & Ahmad, Abu Dawud &others)

*Not Making someone stand and then taking his place. (al-Bukhari)

*Avoid stepping over people to get to a place in the mosque. The Prophet (Sal) saw a man stepping over the people’s neck while he was delivering a Khutbah and he told the man, “Sit down. You have harmed the people and have come late.” (Abu Dawud & others)

Not clasping one’s hands and intertwining one’s fingers while waiting for the Prayer. (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi & others

*Sitting close to the Imam (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasai, ibn majah, ibn Khuzaima, ibn Hibban,al-Hakim) ….It is a dreadful sight when even those who come to the mosque early do not sit in the front rows waiting for the prayer. Instead, they prefer to sit in the back of the mosque to lean against the wall or talk to their friends. The Prophet (Sal) said : “People will continue to withdraw to rows behind the first one until Allah puts them in a back place in Hell.”(Abu Dawud)

Fiqh-us-Sunnah

Fiqh 2.63a

The positioning of the young and the women

The Messenger of Allah placed the men in front of the young boys and the women behind the young boys. This is related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.

SUNNAH PRAYERS BEFORE THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Fiqh-us-Sunnah

Figh 2.144a

Nawaf ’I before al-Jumu’ah

Concerning any sunnah prayer before the Friday salah, Ibn Taimiyyah writes: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam never offered any salah after the adhan and before the Friday salah, and no one has ever related such an act from him.

The majority of the early scholars, including Imams Malik, al-Shafi’I and Ahmad, never stated that there is any such thing as a specific sunnah prayer before the Friday Prayer. Instead of a specific sunnah prayer before the Friday Prayer, the person is free to pray whatever he wishes of a voluntary nature. But to claim that such prayers are sunnah is incorrect and is tantamount to creating an innovation in the religion

For any prayer to be considered sunnah, it must be confirmed that the Prophet (Sal) either did it or approved of it. No one can establish a sunnah prayer except the Prophet (Sal). If anyone claims that a particular prayer is sunnah, the burden of proof is upon him to show that the Prophet (Sal) performed it.

The Muslims of today have become – save for those whom your Lord has had mercy on – two types: One type prays all of his prayers, including the voluntary prayers, in the mosque and the other type prays all of his prayers, including the obligatory prayers, in the house. One is extreme and the other is too lax. The correct guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace be upon him). He would pray the obligatory prayers in the mosque and his voluntary prayers in his house with the exception of the tahiyyat al-masjid prayer which can only be prayed in the mosque.(Wanaly,p.184)

However, it is best or preferred to say the sunnah prayers in one’s own house and not in the mosque, if possible and feasible. The Prophet (Sal) said: “The best prayer of a person is his prayer in his house, except for the obligatory prayers. (al-Nasai & others) “The similitude of a house wherein Allah’s name is mentioned and that wherein Allah’s name is not mentioned is like the living and the dead.” (al-Bukhari/Muslim). Unfortunetely, this is a sunnah that is forgotten by many today.!

SUNNAH PRAYERS AFTER THE FRIDAY PRAYER

IBN Umar said :The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never prayed after the Friday prayer until he departed (from the mosque ) and he would then pray two rakats at home) recorded by al-Bukhari

Ibn al-Qayyim says: "After the Prophet finished the Jumu'ah, he would enter his house and pray two rak'at, and he ordered those who prayed the Jumu'ah to pray four rak'at after it.

Our sheikh Ibn Taimiyyah says: 'When he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four [rak'at], and when he prayed in his house, he would pray two rak'at.' I say: this is what the hadith is pointing to. Abu Dawud records from ibn 'Umar that when he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four rak'at, and when he prayed in his house, he would pray two rak'at. Also, in the two Sahihs it is reported from ibn 'Umar that the Prophet would pray two rak'at in his house after the Friday salah."

Unfortunately, what occurs in many mosques is that they first make an early call to prayer. Then, the people who were sitting and reading the Quran or making dhikr, will immediately get up and start praying something they call a sunnah prayer. Again, there is no such sunnah prayer and this act is an innovation. In most cases, this is done out of ignorance and therefore, these people must be told that they are praying “a sunnah prayer” that has no source in the sunnah!

COMMON MISTAKES AND INNOVATIONS RELATED TO THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Mistakes are actions that people do out of ignorance not knowing that what they are doing is wrong. Upon seeing what is correct, they should eagerly and quickly change their habits and follow what is correct.

INNOVATIONS is much more dangerous for a person’s religion. In following what is wrong, he believes and insists that what he is doing is correct and is pleasing to Allah! “Innovations are worse and more harmful than sins Because the person who performs or follows innovations believes them to be true and obedience to Allah but this is a lie against Allah and it is a position concerning His religion that is not based on any fact and it is very rare that such an innovator should repent.” This is why ibn Taimiya has stated that innovations are MORE EVIL THAN ADULTERY, THEFT AND DRINKING ALCOHOL.

As al-Albani once wrote:

: A Muslim does not complete his getting closer to Allah except by avoiding such innovations. This is not possible unless he knows them individually. Otherwise he will fall into innovations without realizing it. This can be witnessed from many Muslims who seek to approach Allah by actions which are the greatest types of SHIRK, such as making vows to the pious and righteous people, swearing by them, circumambulating their graves, building mosques upon their graves and other actions which are well-known to be acts of shirk according to the scholars. Therefore, it is not sufficient to worship by just knowing what is the sunnah. But one must also know what is its opposite in innovations.

Prophet (Sal) has said: “ For whoever says there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and denies whatever is worshipped besides Allah, his wealth and blood will be protected and his reckoning will be with Allah.” (Muslim)

FEW SUCH MISTAKES AND INNOVATIONS:

1, Beautifying oneself in ways that are not Islamically acceptable, such as shaving one’s beard, men wearing silk or gold, imitating the disbelievers in their best attire.

2. Intentionally wearing an imamah (turban) as an act of worship,

3. The Imam standing at the bottom of the minbar making supplications

4. Saying Azan in the mosque in front of the Khateeb.

5. The Khateeb leaning on a sword or a wooden sword during the Khutbah.

6. To read Surah al-Ikhlas three times while the Imam sits between the two Khutbahs.

7. People supplicating and raising their hands while the Imam sits between the two Khutbahs.

8. The Khateeb being silent after making supplications in order for the congregation to say, “Ameen”, after his supplications.

9. The Khateeb raising his hands while making supplications during the Khutbah,

10. The congregation raising their hands and saying, “Ameen”, while the Khateeb is making supplications.The Hanafi scholar ibn Abideen said that if they raise their hands, they are certainly sinners. (Quoted in Salman, p.394)

11. Prolonging the Khutbah and making the prayer short.

12. Performing the Dhur Prayer after praying the Friday Prayer.

13. Performing two rakats of “sunnah” after the first call to Prayer,

14. Wiping one’s hand over the Khateeb as he comes down from the minbar in order to get blessings.

15. The congregation wiping their faces with their hands after the Khateeb has finished his supplications.

16. Performing the sunnah prayer right after finishing the Friday Prayer without speaking or moving to another place in the mosque, thus making a break without connecting one prayer with another.

17. Using the miswak during the Imam’s delivering of the Khutbah,

18. Playing with pebbles, rosary beads or whatever during the Khutbah.

19. Avoid separating two persons standing up for prayers by creeping in between them.

20. Performing prayers between the two khutbhas while the Imam is sitting.

21. Making Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in congregation after the prayer or reciting Surah-al-Fatihah aloud after the prayer.

22. To recite Surahs al-Fatihah,Ikhlas, Falaq, and Nass, 7 times each before moving after the Friday Prayer.(This is based on a fabricated Hadith –see al-Albani, Dhaeef al-Jami al-Sagbeer 1988 p.830)

23. The newly wed not attending the Friday Prayer etc.

(See al-Albani,al-Ajuba,pp.65-75, Wanaly,pp312-348 etc)

72:14 - `Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to Allah) and some that swerve from justice. Now those who submit their wills they have sought out (the path) of right conduct: 5738

5738 - Any one who responds to true Guidance, and submits his will to Allah, finds that he makes rapid progress in the path of right conduct and right life. He gets more and more assurance that his destination is the Garden of Bliss. (72.14)

72:15 - those who swerve they are (but) fuel for Hell Fire ' 5739

May Allah enable everyone to draw benefit from this and consider this effort as exclusive to Him. :

O Allah, make me grateful to Thee, mindful of Thee, full of fear towards Thee, devoted to Thy obedience, humble before Thee, or penitent. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sin, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make true my tongue and draw out malice in my breast."