Islamic Manual

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.

Jumu'ah is the Arabic word for Friday, and also the name of the special prayer Muslims pray together on that day. Jumu'ah means 'gathering', because on Friday, Muslims gather at the mosque to pray.

Friday is special for another reason too. Allah finished creating the whole universe on a Friday. Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was created on a Friday, was sent into Paradise on a Friday, left Paradise on a Friday, and passed away on a Friday. The Day of Judgment will also happen on a Friday.

Some of the good things about Friday

  1. The Prophet ﷺ said Friday is the best day the sun rises on.
  2. Friday is the leader of all the days of the week, even greater in Allah's sight than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
  3. The trumpet that starts the Day of Judgment will be blown on a Friday. That is why we should send lots of blessings (durood) on the Prophet ﷺ on this day.
  4. There is a special, hidden moment on Friday when Allah accepts whatever a Muslim sincerely asks for.
  5. In Paradise, Friday is called 'the Day of More', because it is the day the people of Paradise will get to see Allah.
  6. Allah made this day a day of celebration for Muslims: He told us to bathe, wear perfume and use the miswak on it.
  7. The night before Friday and the day of Friday are both described as full of light.
  8. A Muslim who dies on a Friday, or on the night before it, is kept safe from the punishment of the grave and is rewarded like a martyr.
  9. The fire of Hell is not made any hotter on Fridays, out of Allah's mercy for this blessed day.

Allah also told the people who came before us to gather and give thanks on a Friday, but they could not agree on it. The Jews chose Saturday instead, and the Christians chose Sunday. Allah then gave the true Friday only to the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Salah is the act of worship Allah loves most, so He gave it to us five times every day. Praying together in a big group brings even more blessing than praying alone. Doing that every day would be too hard for everyone, so Allah chose one day a week for a bigger gathering, and because Friday is the best of all days, that is the day He chose.

Jumu'ah is named for gathering (jamʿ). Muslims gather at the mosque for the Friday prayer, and the whole of creation was itself completed by a Friday: the universe began on Sunday and was finished, over six days, on Friday, so Friday is the day all creatures were, in a sense, gathered into being. Several events in Adam's (peace be upon him) life fell on a Friday too (his creation, his entry into Paradise, his descent to earth, and his death), and the Day of Judgment will also take place on a Friday.

Hadith on the excellence of Friday

  1. "The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, entered Paradise, and was expelled from it, and the Hour will occur on a Friday."Adam's expulsion from Paradise is counted among Friday's mercies, not against them: it set in motion the coming of every prophet, saint and believer after him, and the population and flourishing of the earth.
  2. "Friday is the leader of all days and the most honoured in the sight of Allah, even greater than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."
  3. "The best of your days is Friday. On this day, the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant blessings upon me on this day, as your blessings are presented to me."
  4. Friday is called ash-shāhid, 'the witness', in the Qur'an (Sūrah al-Burūj); no day is greater than it, and it contains a specific hour in which any supplication a Muslim makes is accepted.
  5. In the heavens, Friday is called Yawm al-Mazīd, the Day of Increase, because it is the day the people of Paradise will see Allah.
  6. "Allah has made this day a day of Eid for Muslims. So take a bath, wear perfume, and use the miswak on this day."
  7. "The night of Friday is a luminous night, and its day is a radiant day."
  8. A Muslim who dies on a Friday, or during the night before it, is rewarded as a martyr and is protected from the punishment of the grave.
  9. The Fire is not intensified on Fridays, out of the blessing of this day.

It is established in hadith that the earlier nations were likewise commanded to gather, worship and give thanks on a Friday, but they disagreed among themselves and so lost this virtue; it then passed exclusively to the Muslim Ummah. The Jews chose Saturday, believing Allah completed creation on it; the Christians chose Sunday, believing it was creation's first day. Both still keep their chosen day with devotion, to this day. Friday's own special connection is with Adam (peace be upon him), the first human, being Allah's chosen day, it was given to this Ummah by His guidance.

Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

Sending abundant blessings (durood) upon the Prophet ﷺ on Friday is mustahabb, since the Prophet ﷺ said that on this day the trumpet of the Hour will be blown and that blessings sent on this day are presented to him.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "We are the last (in terms of time) but the foremost (in reward). On this day (Friday), others are behind us. The Jews observe the second day (Saturday), and the Christians observe the third day (Sunday). Just as our day precedes their days in this world, our Ummah will also precede them on the Day of Judgment, as we will be the first to complete the reckoning."

Prayer is the act of worship most beloved to Allah, which is why He prescribed it five times a day, as gratitude for blessings stretching from before creation to beyond the end of time. Congregational prayer multiplies this blessing, and the larger the congregation the greater the benefit; but requiring a large daily gathering from every neighbourhood would be an unreasonable burden, so the Shari'ah set aside one day a week for it. Since Friday is the most virtuous and honoured of all days, it was chosen for this special, larger gathering.

Jumu'ah takes its name from jamʿ, 'gathering': Muslims gather at the mosque for the Friday prayer, and creation itself was completed on a Friday: the universe was begun on Sunday and finished, over six days, on Friday, the day on which all creatures were in that sense gathered into existence. Several turning points of Adam's (peace be upon him) life coincide with Friday: his creation, his entry into Paradise, his descent to the earth, and his death; the Day of Judgment, too, will fall on a Friday.

Hadith on the excellence of Friday

  1. "The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, entered Paradise, and was expelled from it, and the Hour will occur on a Friday."The expulsion is reckoned among the day's mercies rather than against it: it occasioned the coming of every prophet, saint and believer, and the earth's population and flourishing through Adam's descendants. There is no Friday on which every created thing besides mankind and the jinn is not in terror that this could be the Hour, the heavens, the earth, the mountains and the trees included.
  2. "Friday is the leader of all days and the most honoured in the sight of Allah, even greater than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."
  3. "The best of your days is Friday. On this day, the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant blessings upon me on this day, as your blessings are presented to me."
  4. Friday is termed ash-shāhid, 'the witness', by which Allah swears an oath in Sūrat al-Burūj. No day exceeds it in rank, and it contains a specific hour in which any supplication a Muslim makes is answered; its precise timing is treated in the section on the miscellaneous rulings of Jumu'ah.
  5. In the heavens, Friday is named Yawm al-Mazīd, the Day of Increase, being the day on which the people of Paradise are granted the vision of Allah.
  6. "Allah has made this day a day of Eid for Muslims. So take a bath, wear perfume, and use the miswak on this day."
  7. "The night of Friday is a luminous night, and its day is a radiant day."
  8. A Muslim who dies on a Friday, or during the night preceding it, is rewarded with the reward of a martyr and is protected from the punishment of the grave.
  9. The Fire is not intensified on Fridays, on account of this day's blessing.

The noble hadiths establish that the nations before this Ummah were likewise commanded to gather, worship and give thanks on Friday, but disagreed among themselves and were thereby deprived of it; the virtue then passed, exclusively, to the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ. The Jews took Saturday, on the belief that Allah completed the creation of all beings on it; the Christians took Sunday, on the belief that it was creation's first day; both still observe their chosen day with devotion, setting aside worldly affairs for it. Friday's particular bond is with Adam (peace be upon him), the first human, whose creation, entry into Paradise, expulsion from it and the Day of Judgment itself all fall upon it, being Allah's preferred and chosen day, it was granted to this Ummah through divine guidance rather than through their own choosing.

Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

Sending abundant durood upon the Prophet ﷺ on Friday is mustahabb: he ﷺ stated that the trumpet of the Hour will be sounded on this day, and that blessings sent upon him on this day are presented to him.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "We are the last (in terms of time) but the foremost (in reward). On this day (Friday), others are behind us. The Jews observe the second day (Saturday), and the Christians observe the third day (Sunday). Just as our day precedes their days in this world, our Ummah will also precede them on the Day of Judgment, as we will be the first to complete the reckoning."

Salah is the most beloved act of worship to Allah, hence its prescription five times daily, as an expression of gratitude for favours extending from before creation to beyond the end of time. Jamaah multiplies this blessing in proportion to its size; but exacting a large daily congregation, drawing on every neighbourhood, would impose an unreasonable burden on ordinary life, so the Shari'ah reserved one day in the week for it, and appointed the most virtuous and honoured of the days, Friday, for this enlarged gathering: the underlying rationale, in other words, for the Friday prayer's very existence as a rite distinct from the daily Zuhr.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 918 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

Virtues of Jumu'ah Reason for the Name

Jumu'ah is called so because it is the day of gathering. Muslims gather in the mosque for the Friday prayer. Another reason is that the creation of the universe began on Sunday and was completed in six days, with the final creation happening on Friday. Therefore, Friday is the day of the gathering of all creatures. Additionally, significant events occurred on this day. Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was created on a Friday, entered Paradise on this day, was sent down to Earth on the same day, and passed away on a Friday. The Day of Judgment will also take place on a Friday.

Virtues of Jumu'ah Virtues

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described Friday as "The best of days, the most virtuous, and the leader of all days." Several hadiths highlight its significance:

  1. The Prophet ﷺ said:"The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, entered Paradise, was expelled from it [On the surface, this seems to go against the idea of kindness, but in reality, it is a great mercy. The coming of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) brought countless blessings, including the advent of Prophets, Saints, and believing people. The earth became populated and flourished with the offspring of Adam (peace be upon him), and countless wisdoms resulted from this. Similarly, your passing to God's mercy is a means for meeting with and witnessing Him, and it leads to the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, which in turn leads to attaining Heaven and its bounties.], and the Hour will occur on a Friday [There is no Friday when all beings, except humans and jinn, do not fear that it could be the Day of Judgment, as even the heavens, earth, mountains, and trees are in terror that Judgment may occur.]."
  2. He said:"Friday is the leader of all days and the most honored in the sight of Allah, even greater than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."
  3. He also said:"The best of your days is Friday. On this day, the trumpet will be blown. Send abundant blessings upon me on this day, as your blessings are presented to me."
  4. The term Shahid refers to Friday [The word "shaahid" (witness) appears in the Surah Al-Buruj verse. Allah swears by it.]. No day is greater than it. On this day, there is a specific hour when any supplication made by a Muslim is accepted by Allah [Further explanation of the momentous time is provided in the following pages.].
  5. In the heavens, Friday is known as Yawm al-Mazid (the Day of Increase), as it is the day when the people of Paradise will see Allah.
  6. The Prophet ﷺ said:"Allah has made this day a day of Eid for Muslims. So, take a bath, wear perfume, and use the miswak on this day."
  7. He also said:"The night of Friday is a luminous night, and its day is a radiant day."
  8. A Muslim who dies on a Friday or during its night will be rewarded as a martyr and will be protected from the torment of the grave.
  9. Hellfire is not intensified on Friday due to the blessings of this day.

Virtues of Jumu'ah Friday and Previous Nations

It is proven from the noble hadiths that the previous nations were also commanded by Allah to gather, worship, and express gratitude on the day of Friday. However, due to their misfortune, they disagreed and were deprived of this blessing. This virtue was then granted exclusively to the blessed Muslim Ummah. The Jews chose Saturday, believing that Allah completed the creation of all beings on that day. The Christians selected Sunday, thinking it was the first day of creation. To this day, both groups observe their respective days with great devotion, leaving aside all worldly affairs for worship.

However, Friday has a special connection with humanity, as it is the day on which Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), the first human, was created [This pertains to their entry into Heaven, leaving it, and the Day of Judgment which will occur on the same day.]. Being the preferred and chosen day by Allah, it was granted to this blessed Ummah through divine guidance.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"We are the last (in terms of time) but the foremost (in reward). On this day (Friday), others are behind us. The Jews observe the second day (Saturday), and the Christians observe the third day (Sunday). Just as our day precedes their days in this world, our Ummah will also precede them on the Day of Judgment, as we will be the first to complete the reckoning."

Virtues of Jumu'ah Friday and Prayer

  1. Prayer is a highly favored act of worship, the most beloved to Allah. For this reason, He prescribed it five times a day so that through it, gratitude could be expressed for His countless blessings and favors, which extend from the beginning of creation, even before birth, until the end of time and beyond. Hence, on Friday, the day when blessings are bestowed more abundantly than on any other day, a special prayer was commanded.
  2. It is a well-established fact that congregational prayer is a means of attaining blessings and numerous benefits. Naturally, the larger the congregation, the greater the blessings and benefits. However, increasing the size of the congregation requires people from different neighborhoods and nearby areas to gather in one place for prayer. This would be burdensome for daily prayers, so the Shari'ah designated one day a week for this purpose. Since Friday is the most virtuous and honored of all days, it was chosen for this special gathering.

Terms on this page

Jumuah

Related