Friday Prayer (Jumu'ah)

The Friday prayer (salat al-Jumu'ah) is one of the greatest collective acts of worship in Islam. Allah Most High says: "O you who have believed, when the call to prayer is made on the day of Jumu'ah, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew" (al-Jumu'ah 62:9). The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned: "Whoever abandons three consecutive Jumu'ahs out of negligence, Allah will seal his heart" (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi).

Who is Obligated to Attend: Friday prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) upon every free, adult, sane, resident Muslim male. It is not obligatory upon women, children, travelers, the sick who would be harmed by attending, or those in genuinely pressing necessity. However, if those exempted attend and pray with the congregation, their prayer is valid and counts as Jumu'ah.

Conditions for the Validity of Jumu'ah: The Hanbali school stipulates that Jumu'ah is valid only when: it is performed during the time of Zuhr; it is held in a city or settled area (misr) — though many contemporary scholars extend this to any stable settlement; a minimum number are present (the Hanbali school requires forty free, adult, resident, male Muslims as a condition, though some scholars say three and others fewer); and the khutbah precedes the prayer.

The Khutbah: The khutbah (sermon) is a condition (shart) for the validity of Jumu'ah in the Hanbali school, not merely a sunnah. It consists of two parts. The conditions of a valid khutbah include: it must be in Arabic if the imam is capable; it must include praise of Allah, testimony of faith, and salawat on the Prophet; it must include exhortation to taqwa; a verse of the Quran must be recited in one of the two parts; and supplications for the believers must be made in the second part. The imam sits between the two parts.

The Jumu'ah Prayer Itself: The Jumu'ah prayer consists of two rak'ahs performed aloud. The imam recites Surah al-A'la in the first rak'ah and Surah al-Ghashiyah in the second, or Surah al-Jumu'ah and Surah al-Munafiqun, following the prophetic practice. It replaces Zuhr for those who attend. Those who miss the first rak'ah with the imam complete the prayer as the follower normally would for missed rak'ahs.

Recommended Acts on Friday: The Sunnah prescribes several acts for Friday: ghusl before prayer, wearing clean clothes, using perfume, going early to the mosque, reciting Surah al-Kahf, sending abundant salawat on the Prophet throughout the day, and supplicating in the last hour before Maghrib, which contains the hour in which du'a is accepted.