The virtues of Jumu'ah

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.