The method of offering the Friday sermon and prayer
The rak'ahs of Jumu'ah in order, the intention to use, who may lead, and step by step how the imam moves from the sermon into the prayer.
On Friday, instead of the usual four rak'ahs of Zuhr, two rak'ahs of Jumu'ah are fard. You do not need to pray Zuhr separately on a Friday you have prayed Jumu'ah properly.
| When | How many | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Before the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah (strongly emphasised): prayed as one set with one salam, not as two sets of two. |
| The Jumu'ah prayer itself | 2 rak'ahs | Fard: takes the place of Zuhr. |
| After the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah (strongly emphasised): again, one set with one salam. |
| After those | 2 more rak'ahs | Mustahabb (extra, good to do). |
If someone arrives once the sermon has already started, they should skip the 4 sunnah before Jumu'ah, listen to the sermon, and pray those 4 sunnah afterwards, after the fard.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَرْضِ صَلَاةَ الْجُمُعَةِ خَالِصًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلٰى جِهَةِ الْكَعْبَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ
Nawaytu an uṣalliya rakʿatayi'l-farḍi ṣalāta'l-jumuʿati khāliṣan lillāhi taʿālā mutawajjihan ilā jihati'l-Kaʿbati'sh-sharīfah
I intend to pray two rak'ahs of the obligatory Jumu'ah prayer purely for Allah, facing the honourable Ka'bah.
Who leads, and how it is recited
- In the first rak'ah, Surah Al-Jumu'ah is usually recited, and in the second, Surah Al-Munafiqun, or sometimes Sabbih isma Rabbika'l-A'la and Hal ataka hadith al-Ghashiyah instead. Other surahs may also be read; it doesn't have to be the same ones every time.
- The Qur'an is read aloud in the fard Jumu'ah prayer.
- Anyone who is allowed to lead any congregational prayer is also allowed to lead Jumu'ah.
- It is best for the same person who gave the sermon to also lead the prayer, though someone else who heard the sermon may lead instead.
- Someone who did not hear the sermon cannot be appointed as the imam for Jumu'ah.
How the imam moves from the sermon into the prayer
- When Zuhr time begins, the first adhan is called. After it, people pray the 4 sunnah before Jumu'ah.
- Once enough people have gathered, the imam goes up onto the pulpit, faces the people and sits down.
- The mu'adhdhin then stands in front of him and calls the second adhan.
- Straight after that, the imam stands and begins the sermon, keeping all its sunnahs and avoiding what is disliked in it.
- He gives the first sermon, sits briefly (about as long as three verses), then stands and gives the second sermon.
- After the second sermon, he comes down from the pulpit and, without any delay or talking, goes to stand at the front to lead the prayer.
- The mu'adhdhin calls the iqamah straight away, and everyone lines up and straightens the rows behind the imam.
- At the end of the iqamah, the imam says the opening takbir and begins the two rak'ahs of Jumu'ah, reciting aloud.
- After finishing, the imam makes a short du'a asking Allah for peace and blessing.
- Everyone then prays their 4 sunnah rak'ahs after Jumu'ah.
In a place where Jumu'ah must be prayed, it is badly disliked (makruh tahrimi) for someone who has to attend Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr first instead. If he does, he must still go to Jumu'ah, feeling sorry and asking Allah's forgiveness. If he then catches the imam still praying Jumu'ah, his earlier Zuhr no longer counts, and he should join Jumu'ah if he can; otherwise he prays Zuhr again.
It is badly disliked (makruh tahrimi) for travellers, sick people, or anyone else who does not have to attend Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr together in a group, in a city, on a Friday; they should each pray it alone. The same goes for someone who did have to attend Jumu'ah but missed it: he should also pray Zuhr alone, without a group or iqamah.
On Friday, two rak'ahs of Jumu'ah are fard in place of the usual four rak'ahs of Zuhr; Zuhr itself is not offered on a Friday when Jumu'ah has been prayed.
| When | How many | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Before the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah mu'akkadah, prayed with a single salam; praying them as two sets of two, with two salams, does not count as the sunnah. |
| The Jumu'ah prayer itself | 2 rak'ahs | Fard, replacing Zuhr. |
| After the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah mu'akkadah, again with a single salam. |
| After those | 2 further rak'ahs | Mustahabb (per Imam Abu Yusuf, sunnah mu'akkadah). |
Someone who arrives once the khutbah has already started should not pray the four sunnah before Jumu'ah; instead they should listen to the khutbah and pray those four sunnah after the fard prayer.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَرْضِ صَلَاةَ الْجُمُعَةِ خَالِصًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلٰى جِهَةِ الْكَعْبَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ
Nawaytu an uṣalliya rakʿatayi'l-farḍi ṣalāta'l-jumuʿati khāliṣan lillāhi taʿālā mutawajjihan ilā jihati'l-Kaʿbati'sh-sharīfah
I intend to pray two rak'ahs of the obligatory Jumu'ah prayer purely for Allah, facing the honourable Ka'bah.
Recitation and who may lead
- It is sunnah to recite Surah Al-Jumu'ah in the first rak'ah and Surah Al-Munafiqun in the second, or Sabbih isma Rabbika'l-A'la in the first and Hal ataka hadithu'l-Ghashiyah in the second, though it is not necessary to always read the same surahs, and others may occasionally be read instead.
- The recitation in the obligatory Jumu'ah prayer is done aloud.
- Whoever is eligible to lead any congregational prayer is eligible to lead Jumu'ah.
- It is preferable for the one who delivered the khutbah to also lead the prayer, though it is permissible for another to lead if he attended the khutbah.
- It is not valid to appoint as imam for Jumu'ah someone who did not hear the khutbah.
- If the imam loses wudu after starting the prayer and appoints a successor, this is valid even if the successor did not attend the khutbah.
- If a traveller, a sick person, or a slave, none of whom Jumu'ah is obligatory upon, leads the Jumu'ah prayer, it is valid, provided he was properly appointed as imam rather than simply taking the position himself.
How the imam moves from the sermon into the prayer
- When Zuhr time begins, the first adhan for Jumu'ah is called. After it, the sunnah before Jumu'ah is prayed.
- Once enough people have gathered, the imam ascends the pulpit, faces the people, and sits.
- The mu'adhdhin then stands before him and calls the second adhan.
- Immediately after the adhan, the imam stands and begins the khutbah, observing all its prescribed and recommended acts and avoiding what is disliked in it.
- He delivers the first khutbah, sits briefly, for about the time it takes to recite three verses, then stands and delivers the second khutbah.
- After completing the second khutbah, he descends from the pulpit and, without delay or worldly talk, goes to stand before the mihrab to lead the prayer.If the mu'adhdhin's iqamah is delayed, the imam sits on the prayer mat and stands upon hearing 'Hayya 'ala's-Salah'.
- The mu'adhdhin calls the iqamah immediately, during which the congregation aligns and straightens its rows behind the imam.
- At the end of the iqamah, the imam says the opening takbir and begins the prayer, completing the two rak'ahs of Jumu'ah with all their prescribed and recommended acts, reciting aloud.
- After the prayer, the imam makes a short supplication asking for peace and blessing.
- Each person then prays the sunnah after Jumu'ah.
It is makruh tahrimi for someone obligated to attend Jumu'ah, in a place where Jumu'ah is held, to pray Zuhr first instead. Having done so, he must still attend Jumu'ah, out of remorse and seeking forgiveness; if he then catches the imam in the Jumu'ah prayer, his earlier Zuhr becomes invalid (standing only as a voluntary prayer), and he should join Jumu'ah where possible, or otherwise repeat his Zuhr.
It is makruh tahrimi for travellers, the sick, or anyone else not obligated in Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr in congregation on a Friday in a city where Jumu'ah is held, whether before or after Jumu'ah; they should pray it individually. Someone who was obligated in Jumu'ah but missed it should likewise pray his Zuhr alone, without a congregation or iqamah.
On the day of Jumu'ah, two rak'ahs are fard in place of the usual four rak'ahs of Zuhr; Zuhr is not additionally required, Jumu'ah itself serving as its substitute.
| When | How many | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Before the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah mu'akkadah, to be prayed as a single four-rak'ah unit with one salam; praying it as two units of two with two salams does not count as the sunnah. |
| The Jumu'ah prayer itself | 2 rak'ahs | Fard, standing in place of Zuhr. |
| After the fard | 4 rak'ahs | Sunnah mu'akkadah, likewise as a single unit with one salam. |
| After those | 2 further rak'ahs | Mustahabb according to the position followed here; sunnah mu'akkadah according to Imam Abu Yusuf. |
One arriving once the khutbah has begun does not pray the four sunnah before Jumu'ah; he listens to the khutbah instead and prays those four sunnah after the fard prayer.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَرْضِ صَلَاةَ الْجُمُعَةِ خَالِصًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مُتَوَجِّهًا إِلٰى جِهَةِ الْكَعْبَةِ الشَّرِيفَةِ
Nawaytu an uṣalliya rakʿatayi'l-farḍi ṣalāta'l-jumuʿati khāliṣan lillāhi taʿālā mutawajjihan ilā jihati'l-Kaʿbati'sh-sharīfah
I intend to pray two rak'ahs of the obligatory Jumu'ah prayer purely for Allah, facing the honourable Ka'bah.
Recitation and who is eligible to lead
- Reciting Surah al-Jumu'ah in the first rak'ah and Surah al-Munafiqun in the second, or Sabbih isma Rabbika'l-A'la in the first and Hal ataka hadithu'l-Ghashiyah in the second, is sunnah; it is not obligatory to always read the same surahs, and other surahs may occasionally be substituted.
- Recitation in the fard Jumu'ah prayer is jahr (aloud).
- Anyone eligible to lead any congregational prayer is eligible to lead Jumu'ah.
- It is preferable for the khatib himself to lead the prayer; it is nonetheless permissible for another to lead, provided he attended the khutbah.
- Appointing as imam for Jumu'ah someone who did not hear the khutbah is not valid.
- Where the imam's wudu breaks after the prayer has begun and he appoints a successor (khalifah), this is valid even where the successor did not himself attend the khutbah.
- A musafir, a sick person, or a slave, none of them obligated in Jumu'ah, leading the Jumu'ah prayer is valid, provided the imam was properly appointed rather than having simply put himself forward.
How the imam moves from the khutbah into the prayer
- At the onset of Zuhr time, the first adhan for Jumu'ah is called, after which the sunnah before Jumu'ah is offered.
- Once a sufficient congregation has assembled, the imam ascends the minbar, faces the people, and takes his seat.
- The mu'adhdhin then stands before him and calls the second adhan.
- Immediately upon its completion, the imam rises and begins the khutbah, observing every prescribed and recommended element of it and avoiding what is disliked.
- He delivers the first khutbah, sits briefly, for the duration of reciting three ayat, then rises and delivers the second.
- On completing the second khutbah, he descends from the minbar and, without delay or engaging in worldly speech or activity, proceeds directly to the mihrab to lead the prayer.Where the mu'adhdhin's iqamah is delayed, the imam sits on the musalla and rises upon hearing 'Hayya 'ala's-Salah'.
- The mu'adhdhin calls the iqamah at once, during which the congregation aligns itself and straightens its rows behind the imam.
- At the iqamah's conclusion, the imam pronounces the opening takbir and completes the two rak'ahs of Jumu'ah with every prescribed and recommended element, reciting aloud.
- Following the prayer, the imam offers a brief supplication for peace and blessing.
- Each person present then offers the sunnah after Jumu'ah individually.
It is makruh tahrimi for someone obligated in Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr before Jumu'ah in a place where Jumu'ah is obligatory. Having done so, he must still attend Jumu'ah out of remorse and seeking forgiveness; his earlier Zuhr stands, though the sin of having anticipated Jumu'ah with it remains. If he then catches the imam in the Jumu'ah prayer, his earlier Zuhr becomes invalid and counts only as a voluntary prayer. He should pray Jumu'ah where possible; otherwise, he repeats his Zuhr.
It is makruh tahrimi for travellers, the sick, prisoners, or anyone else not obligated in Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr in congregation on a Friday in a city where Jumu'ah is held, whether before or after Jumu'ah; they should pray Zuhr individually. The same applies, out of dislike for the congregation and iqamah, to someone obligated in Jumu'ah who misses it: he too prays Zuhr alone.
Related
- The conditions for the Friday prayer to be valid The six conditions without which Jumu'ah does not count at all, how each is defined, why they differ from the conditions of obligation, and praying it in more than one mosque.
- The conditions for the Eid prayers The Eid prayer shares its conditions with Jumu'ah, but differs on the sermon, the adhan and iqamah, and where it may be held.
- The rules of the adhan for Friday Why Friday has two calls to prayer, when each is given, and why trading is not allowed once the first one is heard.
- The rules of the Friday sermon, and the etiquette of listening to it The two obligatory parts of the khutbah, its twelve sunnahs, what is disliked in it, why it stays in Arabic, and how the congregation should listen.