In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer is a prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according to the sun’s sky path regardless of time zones. Jumu’ah means Friday in the Arabic language.
At Friday prayers, also called Jummah, he preaches a sermon using words from the Qur’an. The Friday prayers are obligatory for men. Before worshipping Allah, Muslims perform ritual washing called wudu’u, to prepare for prayer.
Muslims pray five times on dailysis, but the most important prayer of the week is “jumah,” on the day of gathering, on Friday with minimum number of 12 people.
The Jummah prayer is a important prayer in Islam because it is different from a daily prayer and more important. Allah made the Jummah prayer a sacred prayer for Muslims and a prayer that is obligatory for Muslims.
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was made to enter Paradise, on it he was expelled from it.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) reported that ‘Five are the demonstrations of fitra (nature/ instinct). They are; 1) circumcision, 2) evacuating the hair underneath the navel, 3) trimming the mustache, 4) trimming the nails, and 5) culling the hair under the arms. All these Sunnah of the prophet are expected to be done by the believers, before the congregational prayer on every Fridays.
However, In a narration from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it was stated that the one who reads Surah Al-Kahf on Fridays will find his entire week enlightened until the next Friday (al-Jaami).
Surat Al-Jumuʿah is the 62nd chapter of the Quran, with 11 verses. The chapter is named al-jumu`ah because it is the day of assembly, when the community abandons trade, transactions and other diversions in favor of assembling to seek the all-encompassing truth and most beneficent and seek the “bounty of God” exclusively.
Shaykh al-Tusi has also recorded that, it is highly recommended to recite Surah al-Tawhid, to invoke Almighty Allah’s blessings upon Muhammad and his Household, and to pray for forgiveness each one hundred times after the Fajr Prayer on Fridays.
In surat Al Jumu’ah, Allah commanded the believers to gather to worship Him on Friday,
﴿يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْاْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ﴾
(O you who believe! When the call is proclaimed for the Salah on Al-Jumu`ah (Friday), then hasten (Fas`aw) to the remembrance of Allah) meaning, go to it and head for it. The meaning of Sa`y (hasten) here does not refer to walking quickly. It only refers to the importance of it. `Umar bin Al-Khattab and Ibn Mas`ud – may Allah be pleased with them – recited it; (فَامْضُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللهِ) (“Then proceed to the remembrance of Allah.”) As for walking in haste to the prayer, that was indeed prohibited, since it was recorded in the Two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,
«إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْإِقَامَةَ فَامْشُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّكِينَةَ وَالْوَقَارَ وَلَا تُسْرِعُوا، فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا»
(When you hear the Iqamah, proceed to offer the prayer with calmness and solemnity and do not rush. And pray whatever you catch, and complete whatever you have missed.) This is the wording with Al-Bukhari. Abu Qatadah said, “While we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah he heard commotion. At the end of the prayer, the Prophet said;
«مَا شَأْنُكُمْ»
(What is the matter with you) They said, `We hastened to the prayer.’ The Prophet said,
«فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا، إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَامْشُوا وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّكِينَةَ فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا»
(Don’t do that. When you come for prayer, there should be tranquility upon you. Pray what remains of the prayer and complete what you have missed.)” The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith. Al-Hasan commented, “By Allah! Hastening to the prayer is not accomplished by the feet. Indeed they were prohibited from coming to prayer without tranquility and dignity. Rather it is about the hearts, the intention, and the submission.” Qatadah said,
﴿فَاسْعَوْاْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ﴾
“(then hasten to the remembrance of Allah) means that you have to hasten to the prayer with your heart and actions, and walk to it.” It is recommended for those coming to the Friday prayer to perform Ghusl (taking bath) before they come. It is collected in the Two Sahihs that `Abdullah bin `Umar said that Allah’s Messenger said,
«إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْجُمُعَةَ فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ»
(When one of you comes to the Friday prayer, then let him perform bath.) The Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«غُسْلُ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ وَاجِبٌ عَلى كُلِّ مُحْتَلِمٍ»
(Ghusl on the day of Jumu`ah is Wajib (required) from every Muhtalim. ) Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said,
«حَقٌّ لله عَلى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ، يَغْسِلُ رَأْسَهُ وَجَسَدَهُ»
(It is Allah’s right on every Muslim to bathe during every seven days, by washing his head and body.) Muslim collected this Hadith. Jabir narrated that Allah’s Messenger said,
«عَلى كُلِّ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ غُسْلُ يَوْمٍ وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ»
(Within every seven days, every Muslim man has the obligation to perform Ghusl at least one day, the day of Jumu`ah.) Ahmad, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban collected this Hadith.
Credit: Tafsir Ibn Kathir
