The etiquettes of Friday
How to prepare for the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) from Thursday onward: the full bath (ghusl), clean clothes and perfume, going early, and what to do between Asr and Maghrib.
The Prophet ﷺ used to get ready for Friday a whole day early, on Thursday. Here is how to do the same.
| Etiquette | What to do |
|---|---|
| Get ready on Thursday | Have clean clothes ready, get a haircut if you need one, trim your nails, and buy perfume if you don't have any, so Friday itself is free for worship. |
| Take a bath (ghusl) | Do ghusl on Friday morning, after Fajr. This is a confirmed sunnah. |
| Use the miswak | Clean your teeth with a miswak; this has great reward on Friday. |
| Wear clean clothes and perfume | White clothes are best. A turban is also recommended. |
| Go to the mosque early | The earlier you go, the bigger the reward. Try to sit close to the imam. |
| Walk, don't ride | Walking to the mosque for Jumu'ah is best, if you are able. |
| Perfume the mosque | This is recommended too. |
| Send lots of blessings on the Prophet ﷺ | Say durood often on Friday. |
| Read Qur'an, especially Surah al-Kahf | Reading it on Friday, before or after the prayer, has special protection attached to it. |
| Do extra good deeds | Extra nafl prayers and extra charity on Friday earn double reward. |
| Make du'a between Asr and Maghrib | There is a special time somewhere in these hours when Allah answers du'a: spend it in dhikr and du'a. |
Taking a bath (ghusl) on Friday after Fajr is a confirmed sunnah, and so is cleaning your teeth with the miswak, then putting on clean clothes (white is best) and perfume before going to the prayer.
12345It is recommended to go to the mosque early on Friday, to walk there if you can, and to sit close to the imam: the earlier you go, the bigger the reward. It is also recommended to send lots of blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, to read Surah al-Kahf, and to make dua between Asr and Maghrib, when there is a special hour of acceptance.
12345678The Prophet ﷺ prepared for Friday from the day before it, and every Muslim should do the same.
| Etiquette | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prepare on Thursday | Arrange clean clothes, get a haircut and trim the nails if needed, and buy perfume in advance if you can afford it but don't have any, so that Friday itself is left free of these tasks. |
| Ghusl after Fajr | A confirmed sunnah, with great emphasis on it in hadith; the people of Madinah regarded neglecting it very seriously. |
| Miswak | Using the miswak on this day carries great virtue. |
| Clean clothes and perfume | Sunnah, put on after ghusl; white clothing is the most beloved to Allah, and wearing a turban is recommended. |
| Go to the central mosque early | The earlier, the greater the reward: likened to sacrificing a camel, then a cow, then a goat, then a chicken, and finally only an egg, as the hour gets later. Sit close to the imam. |
| Walk rather than ride | Preferable, for the reward attached to every step. |
| Perfume the mosque | Recommended. |
| Recite durood abundantly | Throughout the day. |
| Read Qur'an extensively, especially Surah al-Kahf | Before or after the Friday prayer; there is a hadith that whoever reads it on Fridays remains protected from one Friday to the next, and three days more. |
| Increase nafl prayer and charity | Every good deed on Friday earns a doubled reward. |
| Dhikr, tasbih and du'a between Asr and Maghrib | There is hope that this window contains the hour in which any du'a is accepted. |
Ghusl on Friday after Fajr is a confirmed sunnah, and with it the miswak, clean clothes put on after the ghusl (white being the most beloved to Allah) and perfume, so that a Muslim comes to the Friday prayer prepared as the Prophet ﷺ commanded.
12345It is recommended to go early to the central mosque on Friday, walking rather than riding, and to sit close to the imam, the reward diminishing with every hour of lateness. It is likewise recommended to send abundant blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, to recite Surah al-Kahf, and to seek the hour of acceptance between Asr and sunset.
12345678Every preparation connected to Friday should, where possible, be completed on Thursday, following the Prophet's ﷺ own practice, so that Friday itself is left entirely for what belongs to it.
| Etiquette | Detail |
|---|---|
| Prepare on Thursday | Clean clothes arranged, a haircut and trimmed nails if needed, and perfume bought in advance if affordable but not already owned, so nothing of this remains to be done on Friday itself. |
| Ghusl after Fajr | Sunnah mu'akkadah, heavily emphasised in hadith; the people of Madinah are reported to have regarded its omission with strong disapproval. |
| Miswak | Carries particular virtue on this day. |
| Clean clothes and perfume | Sunnah, applied after ghusl; white is the most beloved colour to Allah, and a turban is mustahabb. |
| Go to the jami' mosque early | Reward diminishes with each stage of lateness, likened to the sacrifice of a camel, then a cow, then a goat, then a chicken, and finally only an egg; sitting close to the imam is preferable. |
| Walk rather than ride | Preferable, on account of the reward attached to every step taken toward the prayer. |
| Perfume the mosque | Mustahabb. |
| Recite durood abundantly | Throughout the day. |
| Extensive Qur'an recitation, especially Surah al-Kahf | Before or after the Friday prayer; a hadith states that whoever recites it on Fridays remains protected from that Friday to the next, and for three days beyond. |
| Increase nawafil and sadaqah | Every good deed on this day is multiplied. |
| Dhikr, tasbih and du'a between Asr and Maghrib | In hope of the sa'ah of acceptance, whose precise timing is discussed in the section on the miscellaneous rulings of Jumu'ah. |
Ghusl on Friday after Fajr is sunnah mu'akkadah, heavily emphasised in hadith, and with it the miswak, clean garments worn after the ghusl (white being the most beloved to Allah, a turban mustahabb) and perfume, as the Prophet ﷺ enjoined for the day Allah made a celebration.
12345It is mustahabb to go early to the jami' mosque on Friday, on foot rather than riding, and to sit close to the imam, the reward diminishing with each stage of lateness as the angels record the order of arrival. It is likewise mustahabb to send abundant salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, to recite Surah al-Kahf, and to seek the hour of acceptance between Asr and sunset.
12345678This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 480 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings Regarding Friday Prayer 4. Etiquettes of Friday
- Every Muslim should start preparing for Friday from Thursday, as the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to do. For example, arrange clean clothes to wear, get a haircut if needed, trim nails, and if one can afford perfume but doesn't have it, buy it on that day. In short, complete all preparations related to Friday on Thursday itself so that you don’t have to engage in them on Friday [On Fridays, after the prayer of Asr, remembering Allah and performing good deeds is valuable, just as the time of Jumuah is cherished.]. The pious predecessors said that the one who waits for Friday and prepares for it a day earlier (i.e., Thursday) will receive the most reward, while the most unfortunate is the one who doesn’t even know when Friday is and goes around asking people, "What day is it today?"
- On Friday (after Fajr prayer), one should perform Ghusl, as it is a confirmed Sunnah [The people of Madinah used to say that a person who does not perform Ghusl on Friday is worse than someone they disapprove of.]. There is great emphasis on it in Hadith, and using the Miswak on this day also holds great virtue.Benefit: If multiple reasons for Ghusl come together on Friday, such as Janabah, Eid, or Arafah, then performing one Ghusl will suffice (and the reward for Friday Ghusl will also be obtained).
- After Ghusl, wear clean clothes and apply perfume, as wearing good clothes and applying perfume on Friday is Sunnah [White clothing is the best and most beloved in the sight of Allah.]. Wearing a turban on this day is recommended.
- Go to the central mosque very early, as it holds great virtue. The earlier one goes, the greater the reward. Thus, reach the mosque first and try to sit close to the Imam [Performing prayers at the earliest time holds the reward similar to sacrificing an entire camel, then a cow, then a goat, then a chicken, and lastly an egg.].
- It is preferable to walk to the central mosque for Friday prayers [For each step taken for the prayer, one receives the reward of fasting for a year.].
- Perfuming the mosque on Friday is recommended.
- Recite Durood abundantly on Friday.
- Read the Quran extensively on Friday. Particularly, reciting Surah Al-Kahf on this day holds great virtue [It is mentioned in the Hadith that anyone who reads Surah al-Kahf on Fridays will remain protected from one Friday to the next, and even three days thereafter.], whether before or after the Friday prayer.
- Increase in Nawafil (voluntary prayers) and charity on Friday, as every good deed earns double the reward on this day.
- Engage as much as possible in Dhikr, Tasbeeh, and Du'a between Asr and Maghrib on Friday, as there is hope for the hour of acceptance during this time, i.e., the moment when whatever Du'a is made, Allah accepts it.
Related
- The etiquettes of Eid day The recommended acts of Eid day, from the full bath (ghusl) and best clothes to the words of praise (takbir) said on the way, and how Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha differ.
- Miscellaneous rulings of the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) Travelling on Friday, visiting graves, fasting alone on Friday, the two views on the hour of acceptance, and other rulings that don't fit elsewhere.
- The virtues of Friday (Jumu'ah) Why Friday is called Jumu'ah, the hadith on its excellence, its place among the earlier nations, and why a special prayer was given to this one day.
- The emphasis on the Friday prayer, and the warning against abandoning it The Qur'an's command to hasten to the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah), the reward for attending it properly, and the hadith that warn severely against missing it.