The Rulings of Jumu'ah - Shaykh Hafeezullah Khan

The Rulings of Jumu'ah

Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We believe in Him and put our trust in Him.

And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. And whosoever He misguides, none can guide him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that our Master and Protector is Muhammad, His servant and Messenger. As for what follows, the best hadith is the Book of Allah.

And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst of things are its innovations. And every innovation is an invention. And every invention is a misguidance. And every misguidance is in the Fire.

The Importance of Jumu'ah

As we all know, Allah has given priority and importance to some months over others, some places over others, and some days over other days. Among them is the day of Jumu'ah, which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Friday is the best day in the sight of Allah. And on this day, the best and most important thing is performing the Friday prayer.

The good thing about this is that even today, where we are so far from the Deen, the majority of Muslims give importance to the Friday prayer. But from another angle, we see that the majority of us are not aware of its importance, its rulings, and its etiquettes. As a result of this, we are not benefiting fully from this great act of worship.

So today, insha'Allah, I am going to discuss Jumu'ah and its importance and its etiquettes.

The Virtues of Jumu'ah

There are many ahadith narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explaining the virtue of the Jumu'ah prayer. As in Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 881; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 850)

Whoever does ghusl and comes to the Jumu'ah and prays as much as Allah has decreed for him, then listens to the khutbah quietly with full attention until it is over, then prays with the Imam — he will be forgiven for his sins between that and the next Jumu'ah and three more days.

The Special Hour of Acceptance on Jumu'ah

Not only the Jumu'ah prayer, but the whole day of Jumu'ah is special for us. Because this is the day in which Allah has set a specific time in which whatever good you ask from Allah, He has promised to fulfill it.

In a hadith from Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, says that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: On the day of Jumu'ah, there is a time that if a Muslim asks Allah during it for some good, Allah will definitely give it to him.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1048; Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 491)

According to another hadith, this time comes between 'Asr and Maghrib, and especially closer to Maghrib. So we have to try our best to use this opportunity and spend that time making du'a and asking Allah for what is important to us. So try not to forget this moment today and every Friday.

Sending Salutations upon the Prophet on Jumu'ah

Likewise, the day of Jumu'ah is also important for sending salutations — Salawat — upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. As reported by Aws ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, in Sunan Abi Dawud, that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1047)

The most virtuous of your days is Jumu'ah. On that day Adam, peace be upon him, was created and on that day he died. On that day the horn will be blown and the people will be dumbfounded. So invoke blessings upon me on that day frequently, for your blessings upon me will be presented to me.

So dear brothers and sisters, try to make your day of Jumu'ah the day of sending salutations and blessings — Darood — upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, which you can do wherever you are: at home, at work, or even while you are driving. We usually don't give enough importance to sending salutations upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, whereas this is a great good deed which can benefit us enormously in this world and in the Hereafter.

As reported in Tirmidhi, Ubayy ibn Ka'ab, may Allah be pleased with him, once said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "O Messenger of Allah, I send a great deal of blessings upon you. How much of my du'a time should I use sending blessings upon you?" He said, "Whatever you wish." He said, "One quarter." He again said, "Whatever you wish, and if you do more, that will be better for you." He then said, "One half." He said, "Whatever you wish, and if you do more, that will be better for you." He then said, "Two thirds." He said, "Whatever you wish, and if you do more, that will be better for you." He said, "I will make all my du'a for you." And then — look at what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him. He said, "Then your concerns will be taken care of, and your sins will be forgiven."

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2457)

Dear brothers and sisters, we can understand from this hadith that Allah will take care of a person's all concerns. So what else can we ask for? If Allah will take care of all our concerns, we become free from all trials and all problems in this world. And as well, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said that your sins will be forgiven — so we will be saved from the trials of the Hereafter as well.

But at the same time, it does not mean that we don't ask Allah for anything else that we need. Indeed, you can ask whatever you wish from Allah. But also remember to send salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, especially on the day of Jumu'ah. It is very important.

The Obligation of Jumu'ah Prayer

Regarding the Friday prayer, no doubt it is a special prayer. As Allah says in the Quran:

O you who believe, when the call is proclaimed for the Salah on the day of Friday — for the Jumu'ah prayer — come to the remembrance of Allah and leave off business. That is better for you if you but knew.

From this ayah, we can easily understand the importance and significance of the Jumu'ah prayer. And when we look at the ahadith in Sahih Muslim, we find that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, once noticed that some people were staying away from Salatul Jumu'ah. So he said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 652)

I had the notion to order someone to lead the people in prayer, and then to go and burn the houses of those who stayed away from Jumu'ah.

In another hadith from Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Those who are not attending the Salatul Jumu'ah should stop neglecting the Friday prayer, or Allah will set a seal upon their hearts and they will be among the negligent ones.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 865)

And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said in another hadith: Whoever misses three Friday prayers in a row out of negligence will have a seal put over his heart by Allah.

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1052; Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 500)

The Khutbah is an Essential Part of Jumu'ah

Moreover, the ayah that I mentioned also makes it clear that the Jumu'ah is not limited to Salah only. Rather, the Khutbah — Khutbatul Jumu'ah — is also an essential part of the Jumu'ah prayer and should not be overlooked or undermined in any way.

As the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said about coming early to Jumu'ah, it brings a great reward. According to the Sahih hadith from Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 881; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 850)

And whoever goes in the fourth hour will be like sacrificing a hen. And in the fifth hour will be as if he offered an egg. When the Imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the Khutbah and they close their registers.

From this hadith, we can understand that coming early to the Jumu'ah prayer is so important, and we have to come before the Khutbah starts. But we have limited our Friday worship to just performing two rak'ats, whereas the Khutbah is an essential part of the Jumu'ah prayer.

Allah has warned those who left the Khutbah to receive a trade caravan. As Allah says:

And when they see some trade or amusement, they head towards it and leave you standing. Say: that which Allah has is better than any amusement or merchandise.

And when we are warned about something, it shows its importance and that it is compulsory. Likewise, someone missing the Khutbah will be like missing an obligatory deed, and it is sinful. So whoever misses the Khutbah without any valid reason should repent and ask for Allah's forgiveness.

And dear brothers and sisters, this verse also shows that any form of trade or occupying yourself after the Adhan of Jumu'ah is haram. It is totally haram. When we hear the Adhan, we have to leave whatever we are doing and attend the masjid.

But if someone misses the Khutbah for some valid reason, it does not mean that his prayer is not valid. His prayer will be complete. As Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever gets at least one rak'ah of Jumu'ah — or one rak'ah of Salah — has gained the Jumu'ah.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 580; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 607)

This means that at the latest, it is important to get at least one rak'ah of the Jumu'ah prayer to get the full reward of the Jumu'ah prayer. If for some valid reason you are not able to get even one rak'ah of the Jumu'ah, or you arrive when the Imam is also finishing the prayer, then you have to join the Imam with the intention of Zuhr prayer and complete four rak'ats of Zuhr prayer after the Imam finishes his prayer.

Etiquettes of Listening to the Khutbah

With regards to the importance of the Khutbah, there is another point to be noted. Yes, it is the responsibility of the Khateeb to prepare his Khutbah according to the topic and make it beneficial for the listeners. But at the same time, the listeners also have responsibilities to make the Khutbah beneficial for them. Those who don't give importance to the etiquettes of listening to the Khutbah do not benefit from it, and hence they lose an important opportunity to learn about the Deen and understand it.

Therefore, if we want to benefit from the Khutbah, we should be aware of some important points:

1. Prepare Yourself — Avoid Sleeping During the Khutbah

We often see some people sleeping or dozing off during the Khutbah. So they should prepare before coming to the Khutbah so that they don't get lazy and fall asleep. For example, they should get a good sleep before Jumu'ah day. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Do not specify the night before Jumu'ah for Qiyamul Layl — the night prayer — and the day of Jumu'ah for fasting.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1144)

Imam Nawawi says in this regard that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told us to abstain from Qiyamul Layl on the night of Jumu'ah so that we can spend the day of Jumu'ah in full concentration for the remembrance of Allah and worship.

2. Avoid Coming on a Full Stomach

Try your best not to come for Jumu'ah having eaten to a full stomach. The companions — and this is the Sunnah of the companions — used to often eat after the Jumu'ah. According to a hadith from Sahih Bukhari, Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him, says: When we used to return after the Jumu'ah, there was an old woman on the way who used to prepare a dish of vegetables and barley for us, which we used to enjoy eating.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 938)

3. Perform Ghusl, Wear Perfume, and Clean Dress

Doing ghusl on Jumu'ah, wearing perfume, and a clean dress prepares us mentally and physically to be active and able to concentrate during the Khutbah. And when we come to the masjid and the Khutbah is going on, try not to sit leaning against the wall unless you have a need to do so. And still if you feel lazy or sleepy, then you can change your position. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: If any one of you starts feeling sleepy during the Khutbah, then you can change your place.

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 526; Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1119)

4 & 5. Remain Fully Silent During the Khutbah

We should remain fully silent during the Khutbah — and not even make hand signals. Not even tell someone to be quiet and listen to the Khutbah. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said in a hadith from Sahih Muslim: When you tell the person next to you during the Khutbah to be quiet and listen to the Khutbah, you have talked nonsense.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 851)

And don't fidget around with your hands, nails, or draw on the carpets with your fingers. As Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: If someone is playing around with something during the Khutbah, he has also done nonsense.

6. Face the Khateeb

We should face the Khateeb to pay attention to him. As Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, says: Whenever Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would stand on the minbar, we would sit facing towards him.

And as well as this, some people only want to hear specific topics at Jumu'ah. And if the topic is not of interest to them, they don't pay attention. Some people ignore the Khateeb because they think that they already know these things. And some people say, "We understand what the Khateeb will be saying from the moment he starts the Khutbah with a specific verse or hadith. So why listen to all of it?" They should know that they are losing out on a huge benefit.

We should listen to the Khutbah regardless of the topic or the Khateeb, because every Khutbah may increase our Islamic knowledge and our iman. It may be that you have recited or listened to a verse many times, but no one knows when the same verse of the Qur'an or a hadith that we listen to in the Khutbah takes effect upon us and changes our life. And we start feeling that we are listening to this verse or hadith for the first time.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Khutbah of Jumu'ah is a means of our education and tarbiyah through which we can understand the Deen and become close to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala. So do not undermine the importance of the Khutbah.

Etiquettes of the Jumu'ah Prayer

Entering the Masjid — Do Not Step Over People

When we enter the masjid on Jumu'ah, we should sit down wherever we find a place and not step over people to get to the front. And those sitting at the front should fill the rows and not leave any space.

In a hadith from Abu Dawud, a man came and was stepping over the necks of people while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was delivering the Khutbah. He said to him, in between the Khutbah: "Sit down. You have harmed the people and have come late."

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1118)

Sunnah Prayers Before the Jumu'ah Prayer

Many people are confused about the sunnah prayers before the Salatul Jumu'ah and after it, and we have different methods and quantities of sunnah prayers in our society. We need to understand this according to the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Dear brothers, there are two kinds of people who come to the masjid for Jumu'ah prayer. One is those who enter before the Khutbah starts, and second are those who enter after it starts.

Those who come to the masjid before the Khutbah starts can pray as much as they wish — they can pray nawafil, they can pray 2 rak'ats, they can pray 4 rak'ats, they can pray 8 rak'ats, according to the time and their interest and strength. And as soon as the Khutbah starts, they need to sit and listen to the Khutbah. You should not do any kind of dhikr or recitation of the Qur'an or any other thing during the Khutbah.

The evidence for this is the hadith I mentioned earlier from Sahih Muslim that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever takes a shower — does ghusl — on Friday and comes to Jumu'ah, and after that prays as much as Allah has decreed for him in nawafil, and then when the Khateeb starts his Khutbah listens to the Khateeb quietly with full attention until it is over, then prays with the Imam — he will be forgiven for his sins between that and the next Jumu'ah and three more days.

So from this hadith, we can understand that if a person wants to pray 2 rak'ats, he can pray 2 rak'ats. If a person wants to pray 4, he can pray 4. And when the Khutbah starts, he has to sit down and listen to the Khutbah quietly.

And the person who enters when the Khutbah has started needs to pray only 2 rak'ats and then sit down. In a hadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, a person came to the masjid while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was delivering his Khutbah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw him and asked him — during the Khutbah — "Have you prayed?" He said no. So Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, told him to stand up and pray 2 rak'ats and then sit back down.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 930; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 875)

And in another hadith from Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whenever you come into the masjid on Jumu'ah day and the Imam has started the Khutbah, then you need to pray 2 rak'ats before you sit down.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 931; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 875)

So these ahadith show that we need to sit down only after praying the 2 rak'ats if we come after the Khutbah starts.

Sunnah Prayers After the Jumu'ah Prayer

With regards to the sunnah prayers after the Jumu'ah prayer, there are two Sahih ahadith. In one hadith, Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: If someone wants to pray nawafil — sunnah prayers — after the Jumu'ah prayer, he should pray 4 rak'ats.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 881)

And according to another hadith, also from Sahih Muslim, Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, says that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray 2 rak'ats in his home after the Jumu'ah prayer.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 882)

So if we combine these two ahadith, it means that if you want to pray in the masjid, you can pray 4 rak'ats, which is better. But if you want to pray at home, you can pray 2 rak'ats, which is the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. But when you pray 4 rak'ats, you must pray in sets of 2, not all 4 together — according to the Sahih hadith.

The Issue of Zuhr-e-Ihtiyati

Finally, after finishing the Jumu'ah prayer, we can see that some people offer 4 rak'ats with the intention of Zuhr prayer. When they finish the Jumu'ah, they start reading 4 rak'ats thinking that they are reading Zuhr prayer. This is called Zuhr-e-Ihtiyati — the precautionary Zuhr.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is not proven from any hadith or any action of any companion or imam. So if you pray with the intention of Zuhr after the Jumu'ah, it will be considered a bid'ah. So we have to be careful about these things, insha'Allah.