Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)
Suggest editDefinition and Legal Status
Jumu'ah (جمعة), the Friday prayer, is an obligatory congregational prayer that replaces the Dhuhr prayer on Fridays. It consists of a khutbah (sermon) delivered by the imam followed by two rak'ahs of prayer in congregation. The obligation of Jumu'ah is established by the Quran: 'O you who believe, when the call to prayer is made on the day of Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew' (Quran 62:9). The abandonment of Jumu'ah without excuse is a major sin; the Prophet said: 'People must stop abandoning the Friday prayer, or Allah will seal their hearts and they will be among the heedless' (Sahih Muslim 865).
Jumu'ah is obligatory upon every free, adult, sane, male Muslim who is a resident (not a traveler) and has no valid excuse. It is not obligatory upon women (though they may attend), travelers, the ill, or those in genuine hardship — but if these groups attend, their Jumu'ah prayer counts.
The Virtues of Friday
The Prophet described Friday as the master of the days (sayyid al-ayyam): 'The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it he entered Paradise, and on it he was expelled from it. And the Hour will not be established except on a Friday' (Sahih Muslim 854). He also identified a special hour on Friday in which any du'a is answered, which the scholars differ over in pinpointing — with the most common view being either the time after Asr until Maghrib or the moment the imam sits between the two khutbahs.
Etiquettes and Sunnah Practices
The Prophet established comprehensive etiquettes for Jumu'ah:
- Performing ghusl (full ritual bath) — the Prophet said this is an obligation (wajib) upon every adult who attends Jumu'ah (Sahih al-Bukhari 880)
- Wearing clean, dignified clothing — white is especially recommended
- Applying perfume (for men)
- Using the siwak (miswak/toothbrush)
- Going to the mosque early — the earlier one arrives, the greater the reward, as the Prophet described angels at the door of the mosque writing down the names of those who arrive in order, from the one who brings a camel (earliest) to one who brings an egg (latest) (Sahih al-Bukhari 929)
- Reading Surah al-Kahf on Friday — the Prophet said this provides light for the one who reads it until the following Friday (Sunan al-Bayhaqi)
- Sending abundant salawat (blessings) upon the Prophet throughout Friday: 'Increase your salawat upon me on Friday, for your salawat are presented to me' (Sunan Abu Dawud 1047)
- Listening to the khutbah in complete silence — even responding to a greeting or saying 'quiet' to someone else nullifies one's reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 934)
The Khutbah
The Friday khutbah is a pillar of Jumu'ah, not an optional preamble. The scholars differ on whether it substitutes for two rak'ahs (making the prayer two rak'ahs instead of four) — the majority position — or whether the two rak'ahs stand alone and the khutbah is a separate obligation. The khutbah must praise Allah, send blessings on the Prophet, recite Quranic verses, and exhort the congregation in matters of faith and life. The imam delivers two khutbahs, sitting briefly between them.
Conditions for Validity
The minimum number required for Jumu'ah to be valid differs by school: the Hanafi school requires the imam plus three men; the Maliki school, twelve; the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, forty. The prayer must be performed during Dhuhr time, within an inhabited area, and cannot validly be offered by a traveler for themselves alone while on the road.