What is the significance of Friday (Jumuʿah)?
The Prophet ﷺ called Friday the best of days. Its virtues, its manners, the hour of response within it, and the rulings of Jumuʿah prayer.
10 passages from 4 books in the library
Friday (Jumuʿah) is the weekly congregational day, and the Jumuʿah prayer is a central obligation. Al-Ghazali, in The Book of Prayer, explains it "shares the conditions of all prayers" but adds extra conditions, including congregation — noting that in the Shāfiʿī view it is not valid where fewer than forty gather, nor in open deserts. In The Book of Purification he lists the ghusl (ritual bath) for Friday among recommended washings. He also observes that, like pilgrimage, Jumuʿah is an act "better done openly."
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 4 books by Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Imam al-Dhahabī — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
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"He replied, "Because he was speaking while you were delivering the sermon. The Prophet said, "Sa’d has spoken the truth." The hadith of Ibn Umar about the two rak'ahs after the Friday prayer is agreed upon. The hadith of Abu Huraira about the four rak'ahs after the Friday prayer is narrated by Muslim: "If one of you performs Friday prayer, let him pray four rak'ahs afterward.""
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""If one of you performs Friday prayer, let him pray four rak'ahs afterward." The hadith of Ali and Abdullah regarding the six rak'ahs after the Friday prayer is narrated by Al-Bayhaqi as a marfu' hadith from Ali, and it is attributed to Ibn Mas'ud with four rak'ahs. Abu Dawud narrates from Ibn Umar that when he was in Mecca, he would pray six rak'ahs after the Friday prayer."
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"The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: "If people knew the reward of three things, they would race like camels to attain them: the call to prayer, the first row, and going early to Friday prayer. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said the best of these is going early to Friday prayer. There is a narration: "The best perfume for men is that which has a strong scent but is light in color, and for women, that which has a bright color but a subtle scent," as reported by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as good, and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of Abu Hurayra."
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"He is Allah, the One" and the Mu'awwidhatayn, the last two chapters of the Quran, seven times each. It is narrated that doing this provides protection from one Friday prayer to the next and serves as a shield from the devil. Additionally, it is advised to say after the Friday prayer: "O Allah, O Rich, O Praiseworthy, O Originator, O Restorer, O Merciful, O Loving, enrich me by what is lawful from what is forbidden and by Your bounty from anyone besides You."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
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"has drawn near indeed the moon has split indeed the world has signaled its departure indeed today is the race course and tomorrow is the competition. When the second Friday came I went with my father to the Friday prayer and he praised Allah and said something similar adding indeed the one who proceeds is the one who arrives first at the Friday prayer. While we were on the way I asked my father what he meant by saying tomorrow is the competition. He said the one who arrives first in paradise. Ibn Abbas narrated that the moon split during the time of the Prophet peace be upon him. Al-Bukhari narrated this from the hadith of Bakr who is Ibn Nasr from Jafar his saying"
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"Ibn Ishaq said, Muhammad ibn Abi Umamah narrated from his father, from Abdul Rahman ibn Kab ibn Malik, who said, I was leading my father when his eyesight failed him. When I took him out to the Friday prayer, he heard the call to prayer and prayed for Abu Umamah Asad ibn Zurara. He remained in that state, not hearing the call to Friday prayer, except that he prayed for him and sought forgiveness for him."
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"When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, departed from Kuba riding his she-camel al-Qaswa, it was a Friday. He reached the time of noon while in the home of Banu Salim ibn Auf. There, he led the Muslims in the Friday prayer in a valley called Wadi Ranuna. This was the first Friday prayer that the Messenger of Allah performed with the Muslims in Medina, or perhaps in general, for Allah knows best."
13th–14th century · Damascus, Syria
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ — the monumental biographical dictionary of Islamic scholarship, from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ through al-Dhahabī's own era. A working-scholar reference used for seven centuries.
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, Whoever neglects three congregational prayers out of negligence, Allah will seal his heart. He also said, Whoever misses the Friday prayer without a valid excuse or harm will be recorded as a hypocrite in a register that will not be erased or changed. Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, Attending the Friday prayer is obligatory for every adult."
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"Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, Attending the Friday prayer is obligatory for every adult. The sixty-sixth major sin is the persistent neglect of the Friday prayer and congregational prayers without a valid excuse. Allah, the Exalted, said, The day the shin will be uncovered, and they will be called to prostration, but they will not be able."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
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"hypocrisy raised its head in Medina, those of the Arab tribes around Medina who apostatized did so, others refused to pay the alms to al-Siddiq, and the Friday prayer no longer stood in any town save Mecca and Medina. Juwatha in Bahrain was the first village to establish the Friday prayer after the people returned to the truth, as is related in the Sahih of al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Abbas, as will come."
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