Islamic Manual

The emphasis on the Friday prayer, and the warning against abandoning it

The Qur'an's command to hasten to Jumu'ah, the reward for attending it properly, and the hadith that warn severely against missing it.

The Friday prayer is one of the most important prayers in Islam. It is prayed at the same time as Zuhr, but it carries a greater reward than Zuhr, and missing it on purpose is a much more serious matter than missing an ordinary prayer.

Farḍmust do

Allah commands us in the Qur'an: when the call to prayer is made on Friday, hurry to remember Allah and leave your work and business; that is better for you.

The command to hasten to Jumu'ah

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا نُوْدِيَ لِلصَّلٰوةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا اِلٰي ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَؕ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ ۝٩

Yā ayyuha'lladhīna āmanū idhā nūdiya li'ṣ-ṣalāti min yawmi'l-jumuʿati fa'sʿaw ilā dhikri'llāhi wa dharū'l-bayʿ, dhālikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn

'O believers! When the call is made for the prayer on Friday, hasten towards the remembrance of Allah and leave business. This is better for you if you know

Qurʼan 62:9, Al-Jumu'ah, from Zujajah.org

What the Prophet ﷺ said about going to Jumu'ah

  1. Friday is like the Hajj of the poor: the pilgrimage of those who cannot afford to travel for Hajj.
  2. Every Muslim must pray Jumu'ah in a group, except four kinds of people: a slave, a woman, a child, and someone who is sick. (A traveller and a blind person do not have to go either.)
  3. If you take a bath, wear perfume, walk to the mosque, and listen quietly to the sermon, your small sins from that Friday to the next, and three days more, are forgiven.
  4. Whoever takes a bath, walks to the mosque early, and listens carefully without messing about earns a reward like fasting and praying for a whole year, for every single step.

More warnings about missing Jumu'ah

  1. If people keep abandoning Jumu'ah, Allah will seal up their hearts, and they will fall into deep carelessness about their religion.
  2. Whoever misses Jumu'ah without a real excuse gets written down as a hypocrite in a record that is never erased.
  3. Whoever misses three Fridays in a row without an excuse will have his heart sealed by Allah.
  4. Allah is displeased with anyone who misses three Fridays in a row without a reason; it is as if he has turned away from Islam.
  5. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day must go to Jumu'ah. Only the sick, travellers, women, children and slaves are excused. If someone skips it for something as small as work or shopping, Allah turns away from him.

The Friday prayer is among the highest of Islam's obligations, distinct from the five daily prayers even though it falls at the time of Zuhr. Its reward is greater than Zuhr's, and the punishment for neglecting it is far more severe. It carries a unique, independent status of its own, as a personal obligation (fard al-ayn) rather than merely a substitute for Zuhr.

Farḍmust do

The Qur'an commands hastening to the Friday prayer and setting trade aside once the call to prayer is made.

Surah al-Jumu'ah, ayah 9

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا نُوْدِيَ لِلصَّلٰوةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا اِلٰي ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَؕ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ ۝٩

Yā ayyuha'lladhīna āmanū idhā nūdiya li'ṣ-ṣalāti min yawmi'l-jumuʿati fa'sʿaw ilā dhikri'llāhi wa dharū'l-bayʿ, dhālikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn

'O believers! When the call is made for the prayer on Friday, hasten towards the remembrance of Allah and leave business. This is better for you if you know

Qurʼan 62:9, Al-Jumu'ah, from Zujajah.org

Hadith on going to the Friday prayer

  1. "Friday is the pilgrimage for the poor and needy; Friday is the Hajj for the destitute of my Ummah."
  2. "Offering the Friday prayer in congregation is a duty upon every Muslim, except four: a slave, a woman, a child, and a sick person."Travellers and the blind are likewise not obligated, on the same principle.
  3. "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, cleanses himself as much as possible, applies oil to his hair and wears perfume, then proceeds to the mosque and refrains from disturbing others, prays as much as destined for him, and remains silent during the sermon, will have his sins forgiven from that Friday to the next, along with an additional three days."This is on the basis that every good deed is multiplied tenfold.
  4. "Whoever performs a full bath on Friday, goes early to the mosque on foot (not riding), and listens attentively to the sermon without engaging in idle behaviour, will earn the reward of one year's worship for every step, equivalent to a year of fasting and prayer."

Against this, the hadiths carry unusually stern warnings for those who neglect the Friday prayer.

Warnings against abandoning the Friday prayer

  1. "I had a strong intention to appoint someone to lead the prayer in my place and then set fire to the houses of those who do not attend the Friday prayer."
  2. "People must refrain from abandoning the Friday prayer, or Allah will seal their hearts, and they will fall into grave heedlessness."
  3. "Whoever misses the Friday prayer without a valid reason will be recorded as a hypocrite in a book that will never be erased or altered."
  4. "Whoever skips three consecutive Fridays without an excuse, Allah will seal his heart."
  5. "Allah detests the one who abandons three consecutive Fridays without reason, as such a person has practically turned away from Islam."
  6. "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must offer the Friday prayer. However, the sick, travellers, women, children, and slaves are exempt. If someone skips it for trivial activities or trade, Allah will turn away from him, and He is Self-Sufficient and Praiseworthy."

The Friday prayer ranks among the highest and most important obligations of Islam, distinguished from the other obligatory prayers even though it is offered at Zuhr's time: its reward exceeds Zuhr's, and the threat attached to neglecting it is markedly more severe. It holds a unique, independent status among the five daily prayers, being a personal obligation, fard al-ayn, in its own right rather than a mere substitute for Zuhr.

Farḍmust do

The command to hasten to the remembrance of Allah and set aside trade once the Friday call to prayer is made is a Qur'anic command, and the basis in revelation for the obligation of the Friday prayer.

Surah al-Jumu'ah, ayah 9

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا نُوْدِيَ لِلصَّلٰوةِ مِنْ يَّوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا اِلٰي ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَؕ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ ۝٩

Yā ayyuha'lladhīna āmanū idhā nūdiya li'ṣ-ṣalāti min yawmi'l-jumuʿati fa'sʿaw ilā dhikri'llāhi wa dharū'l-bayʿ, dhālikum khayrun lakum in kuntum taʿlamūn

'O believers! When the call is made for the prayer on Friday, hasten towards the remembrance of Allah and leave business. This is better for you if you know

Qurʼan 62:9, Al-Jumu'ah, from Zujajah.org

Hadith on the reward for attending Jumu'ah

  1. "Friday is the pilgrimage for the poor and needy; Friday is the Hajj for the destitute of my Ummah."
  2. "Offering the Friday prayer in congregation is a duty upon every Muslim, except four: a slave, a woman, a child, and a sick person."Travellers and the blind are excused on the same footing; the full six conditions of obligation are set out in the following section.
  3. "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, cleanses himself as much as possible, applies oil to his hair and wears perfume, then proceeds to the mosque and refrains from disturbing others, prays as much as destined for him, and remains silent during the sermon, will have his sins forgiven from that Friday to the next, along with an additional three days."Grounded in the principle that every good deed is multiplied tenfold.
  4. "Whoever performs a full bath on Friday, goes early to the mosque on foot (not riding), and listens attentively to the sermon without engaging in idle behaviour, will earn the reward of one year's worship for every step, equivalent to a year of fasting and prayer."

Against this stand unusually severe warnings for its neglect, which the fuqaha' cite as evidence for treating denial of the obligation as kufr and unexcused abandonment as fisq.

Warnings against abandoning the Friday prayer

  1. "I had a strong intention to appoint someone to lead the prayer in my place and then set fire to the houses of those who do not attend the Friday prayer."
  2. "People must refrain from abandoning the Friday prayer, or Allah will seal their hearts, and they will fall into grave heedlessness."
  3. "Whoever misses the Friday prayer without a valid reason will be recorded as a hypocrite in a book that will never be erased or altered."
  4. "Whoever skips three consecutive Fridays without an excuse, Allah will seal his heart."
  5. "Allah detests the one who abandons three consecutive Fridays without reason, as such a person has practically turned away from Islam."
  6. "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must offer the Friday prayer. However, the sick, travellers, women, children, and slaves are exempt. If someone skips it for trivial activities or trade, Allah will turn away from him, and He is Self-Sufficient and Praiseworthy."

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