Acts of Worship Which Are Prescribed On Fridays

Acts of Worship Which Are Prescribed On Fridays

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of the al-‘ālameen. There is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.

Question: Friday has many virtues. Could you tell me some acts of worship that I can do on this day?

Yes, Friday is a good day; there are many hadith which speak of its virtues. There are many acts of worship which are prescribed for the Muslim to do on this day. These include:

1 – Solat Al-Jumu’ah (Friday Prayer)

Allāh says: “O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Solah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allāh [Jumu‘ah religious sermon (Khutbah) and Solāh (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!” [Al-Jumu’ah 62:9]

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullāh) said:

Friday prayer is one of the most important obligations in Islam, and one of the greatest gatherings of the Muslims. Gathering on Friday is more important and more obligatory than any other gathering apart from ‘Arafah. Whoever neglects it, Allāh will place a seal on his heart.

It was narrated from Abu’l-Ja’d al-Damari (radiyallāhu’anhu), who was a companion of the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam), that Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever neglects three Jumu’ahs, Allāh will place a seal on his heart.”

[Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1052; classified as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud, 928]

It was narrated from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu‘anhum) that they heard the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) say on the minbar:

“Let people stop neglecting Jumu’ah, or Allāh will place a seal on their hearts, then they will be among those who are neglectful.” [Narrated by Muslim, 865]

2 –To Invoke a lot of Du’ās.

On this day there is a time when a person’s Lord will answer his du’a – by Allāh’s leave.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) mentioned Friday and said:

“On this day there is a time when no Muslim stands and prays, asking Allāh for something, but Allāh will grant him it” – and he gestured with his hands to indicate how short that time is. 

[Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 893; Muslim, 852]

3 – Reading Surah Al-Kahfi.

It was narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:  

“Whoever reads Surat al-Kahfi on Friday, he will be illuminated with light between the two Fridays.”

[Narrated by al-Hakim; classified as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, 836]

4 – Sending A Lot of Salawāt upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam).

It was narrated from Aws Ibn Aws (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

“The best of your days is Friday. On that day Adam (‘alayhissalam) was created; on that day he died; on that day the Trumpet will be blown; and on that day all of creation will swoon. So send a great deal of salawāt upon me, for your salawāt will be shown to me.” They said, “O Messenger of Allāh, how will our blessings upon you be shown to you when you have turned to dust?” He said, “Allāh has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets, peace be upon them.”

[Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1047; classified as sahih by Ibn al-Qayyim in his comments on Sunan Abi Dawud, 4/273; classified as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud, 925.]

Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)  said: “He who sends prayers upon me on Friday eighty times, Allāh will forgive eighty years of sin”. [Ibn Nu’mān: hasan (good)]

Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) related that the Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Increase invoking blessings on me on Friday, for surely it is presented to me”. [Bukhārī and At-Tabarānī recorded it and also Ash-Shāfi’īe in his Musnad.]

Another version from Anās Ibn Malik (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Increase invoking blessings upon me on Friday and the night of Friday. Whoever invokes a single blessing on me, Allāh will bless him ten times”. [Reported by al-Hāfidz As-Suyūtī in his al-Saghīr].

Abū ad-Dardā (radiyallāhu’anhu) related that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Increase invoking blessings upon me on Friday, it is witnessed by the Angels” [Ibn Mājah in which al-Haythamī in his Zawā’id said Sahih.]

Imām Ahmad recorded that Abu Talhah al-Ansārī (radiyallāhu’anhu) said: The Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) arose one morning in a very pleasant mood with signs of good tidings apparent on his face. They said, "O Messenger of Allāh, we see that you look happy.'' He said, (The angel came to me and told me, "O Muhammad, would it not please you if your Lord, may He be glorified, says: “No member of your Ummah sends Salāh upon you but I send Salāh upon him tenfold, and no member of your Ummah sends greetings of Salām upon you but I send greetings of Salam upon him tenfold”' I said, "Of course.'') This was also recorded by An-Nasā’ie Ibn Abi Shaybah, ‘Abd bin Hamīd and at-Tirmidzi; Cited with slightly different wording in Imām Abu Sulayman al-Jazuli's Dala'il al-Khayrat (The Index of Good Things)

‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ūd (radiyallāhu‘anhu) said that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The closest to me on the Day of Judgment are those who pray (i.e made salawāt) upon me more.”[Ahmad, Tirmidzī and Ibn Hibbān said hasan]

Anas ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: “There are three under the shade of Allāh on a day when there is no shade except His; the one who relieved a distress from someone from my nation; the one who gave life to my Sunnah and the one who invoked blessings on me (Salawāt) the most”. [Recorded in the Mustadrak and the Musnad of al-Firdaus; Al-Hāfiz as-Suyūtī also recorded it in his Burūj al-Hilāl.]

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullāh) also said:

Friday is singled out because it is the best of days and the chosen day. So there is an advantage to sending blessings upon him on that day that is not present on any other day.

Along with these virtues and acts of worship, the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam)  forbade singling out Friday for fasting, or singling out the night of Friday for doing acts of worship that are not narrated in syari’ah.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anha) that the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 

“Do not single out the night of Friday for qiyam al-layl, and do not single out the day of Friday for fasting, unless that is part of the habitual fasting of any one of you.” 

[Narrated by Muslim, 1144)]

[‘Awn al-Ma’bud]

Al-San’ani (rahimahullāh) said:

This hadith indicates that it is harām to single out the night of Friday for worship or reading Qur’an that is not one’s regular custom, apart from that which is indicated in the texts, such as reading Surat al-Kahfi.

An-Nawawi (rahimahullāh) said:

This hadith clearly states that it is forbidden to single out the night of Friday for prayer or the day of Friday for fasting. It is agreed (among the scholars) that this is makruh.

He also said:

The scholars said that the reason why it is forbidden to single out Friday for fasting is that Friday is a day of du’a, dzikir and worship, such as ghusl, going early to the prayer, waiting for the prayer, listening to the khutbah and reciting a lot of dzikir afterwards, because Allāh says: “Then when the (Jumu‘ah) Solāh (prayer) is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allāh (by working), and remember Allāh much” [Al-Jumu‘ah, 62:10]

And there are other acts of worship to be done on this day. So it is preferable not to fast then, as this will help a person to perform these duties in an energetic manner and enjoy them without feeling bored or tired. This is like the pilgrim on the day of ‘Arafah in ‘Arafah, because the Sunnah is for him not to fast on that day for the same reason… This is the reason for not allowing singling out Friday for fasting. And it was said that the reason is so that people will not go to extremes in venerating it as happened in the case of Saturday. But this view is weak, because on that day we offer Jumu’ah prayer and do other acts of worship which are a kind of veneration.

And it was said that the reason for its prohibition is so that people would not think that this was obligatory. This is also a weak view because it is encouraged to fast on Mondays and there was no fear that anyone would think it was obligatory. No attention should be paid to this far-fetched view. The same argument is applicable in the case of fasting the day of ‘Arafah and the day of ‘Asyura’, etc.

The correct view is that which we have stated above.

[Subul al-Salam]

And Allāh Almighty knows best.

[Via Islam Q&A]