The Importance of Salat al-Jumu'a

The Salat al-Jumu'a is one of the most important prayers for Muslims. In this article, we will explore the details and obligations of the Friday prayer, as well as the virtuous actions to be performed before and after the prayer. We will also discover the importance of the call to prayer (Adhan) and the recitation of Sūrat al-Kahf. By following these tips and practicing these virtuous actions, Muslims can obtain great spiritual rewards and merits in the sight of Allah.

Salat al- Jumua: Obligations, Virtuous Deeds and their Rewards

“O you who have believed, when [the adhān ] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew”.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Three things in this verse are particularly noteworthy:

• The verse contains mention of the call to the Prayer .
• That the mention is of the call to such a Prayer as has to be performed particularly only on Fridays.
• The style and context clearly show that the call to the Prayer and the particular Prayer were both already being performed and practiced on Friday. The people, however were being negligent in that on hearing the call to the Prayer they would not hasten to it, but would remain occupied in their worldly activities, trade and business transactions. Therefore, Allāh sent down this verse to make the people realize and appreciate the importance of the call and the Prayer and to exhort them to hasten to perform it as a duty.

At the end of the verse, Allāh ﷻ says: when the salat has ended, when you have finished Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah, [praise] make mention of Allāh in abundance so that you may attain success. Dhikru-Lhāh ﷻ [praising Allāh] is tied with success in this life and the hereafter. In other words, the root to success in this life and in the Hereafter is in remembering Allāh much [ ذِكْرُ الله كَثِيرًا]

Allāh gave us this command after we finish Ṣalāt al Jumu’ah. The only worship that Allāh says to do a lot of it, [the only Ibāda that is tied with abundance] is dhikru-Lhāh.

Obligations [farīḍat] of Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah.

Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah is offered in congregation behind the Imām. It is of two units [rakaʿāt] to perform, which is half the Dhuhr prayer for convenience. It is preceded by khutbah, a sermon as a technical replacement of the two reduced rakaʿāt of the ordinary Dhuhr prayer. In most cases the preacher [Khaṭīb] also serves as the imām for the Ṣalāt

The Friday prayer, known as Salat al-Jumu'ah, is an individual obligation for every mature, healthy, and capable Muslim male who does not have any valid excuses for not attending. It is obligatory (wājib) for those residing in an area where there is a mosque. However, it is not obligatory for travelers, women, and children.

Regarding women, if they do not pray Salat al-Jumu'ah in the mosque, they will still receive a reward equal to that of men. Their prayers at home, as mentioned by the scholars (ʿUlamāʾ), are equivalent to the reward of men praying in the mosque. However, if a woman wishes to participate in Salat al-Jumu'ah at the mosque, she is allowed to do so, even though it is not obligatory for her.

Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah therefore, is obligatory to those whom the above conditions are fulfilled in them, and they should not fail to attend it. This, according to the hadith that was narrated by ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar and Abū Hurayra who heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say on the planks of his pulpit: “People should desist from failing to attend Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah, otherwise Allāh will seal their hearts, and they will be among the negligent.”. [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim].

‏ لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ عَنْ وَدْعِهِمُ الْجُمُعَاتِ أَوْ لَيَخْتِمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَيَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ‏

Virtuous deeds at the time of Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah

– - Taking a bath [ghusl]

Among the acts of worship to be observed on Friday before going to attend Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah is bathing, [as it is a stressed act of Sunnah], wearing clean clothes, doing miswāk [teeth-cleaning] and men applying perfume. It was narrated that ʿAbd Allāh [ʿUmar] said: “I heard the Messenger of Allāh, ﷺ say: ‘When one of you wants to come to Jumu’ah, let him perform Ghusl.'

 مَنْ أَتَى الْجُمُعَةَ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ

In another Hadith, Samurah bin Jundah narrated that Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said: "Whoever performs wuḍū on Friday, then he will receive the blessing, and whoever performs Ghusl then Ghusl is more virtuous."

مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَبِهَا وَنِعْمَتْ وَمَنِ اغْتَسَلَ فَالْغُسْلُ أَفْضَلُ

– Walking to the Mosque [not riding]

Strolling towards the Mosque, as it results in the achievement of gifts on one stage and pardoning of sins on another. It was narrated that Abū Musa [may Allāh be pleased with him] said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “The people who will receive the greatest reward for prayer are those who walk the furthest distance to come and pray, then those who walk the next furthest.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim].

Rawātib prayers before and after Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah

There are prescribed Rawātib prayers bound before Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah, like on Dhuhri for example. For Dhuri we know that there are four rakaʿāt before it and two rakaʿāt after. For Jumuʿah, you can pray any number of rakaʿāt before, two, four or more, nothing is prescribed. After, the fardh Jumu’ah prayer itself, if you’re going to pray the voluntary prayers [Al-rawātib] in the Masjid, the sunnah is to pray four; two plus two. But if you are going to leave the Masjid, and prefer to pray at home which is the best, you may pray two at home. This is what the prophet ﷺ used to do.

Reciting Sūrat al-Kahf Sūrat al-Kahf

Reciting Sūrat al-Kahf on Friday is highly desirable and was a general practice for Muslims It was described from Abu Sa’eed al Khduri that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever reads Sūrat al-Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between Fridays” And in another hadith: “The one who recites Sūrat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a Nūr [Light] is made to shine between him and Bayt-ul-'Ateeq [Al-Kaʿbah]”

- Coming early for Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah and rewards thereof

There is a great reward of arriving early for the Jumu’ah Prayer before the Imām comes out to deliver the Khutubah Narrated Abū Hurayra: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When it is a Friday, the angels stand at the gate of the mosque and keep on writing the names of the persons coming to the mosque in succession according to their arrivals. The example of the one who enters the mosque in the earliest hour is that of one offering a camel [in sacrifice]. The one coming next is like one offering a cow and then a ram and then a chicken and then an egg respectively. When the Imām comes out [to deliver the Khutubah for Jumuʿah prayer] they [i.e., angels] roll up the scrolls and listen to the Khutbah”.

إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَقَفَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَلَى باب الْمَسْجِدِ يَكْتُبُونَ الأَوَّلَ فَالأَوَّلَ، وَمَثَلُ الْمُهَجِّرِ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يُهْدِي بَدَنَةً، ثُمَّ كَالَّذِي يُهْدِي بَقَرَةً، ثُمَّ كَبْشًا، ثُمَّ دَجَاجَةً، ثُمَّ بَيْضَةً، فَإِذَا خَرَجَ الإِمَامُ طَوَوْا صُحُفَهُمْ، وَيَسْتَمِعُونَ الذِّكْرَ ‏.‏

[Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhari]

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