The Significance of Jumu’ah - Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem
By Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem | 2026-07-06T18:55:52.006864+00:00 | Topic: Time
The Significance of Jumu'ah
أَمَّا بَعْد
My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, one of the signs of the mercy of Allah Dhul Jalal Al Ikram and his bounties for his creation is that he, Dhul Jalal Al Ikram, out of his wisdom, out of his mercy, has given certain times preference over the others. As we all know, the month of Ramadan is better than other months. Four sacred months have preference over other months. Laylatul Qadr is the best of the nights, and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year. The day of Arafah is the best day of the whole year. Likewise, this particular day — the day of Friday — is the best day of the whole week, as Rasulullah S.A.W. has confirmed, and he S.A.W. has informed us that the best of the days of the week is the day of Friday.
Salatul Fajr on Friday
Our Prophet S.A.W. used to give special importance and significance to this day. He S.A.W. would begin this day with Salatul Fajr, and with regards to the Salatul Fajr of the day of Friday, the Prophet S.A.W. said the Fajr of the day of Friday is the best prayer of the whole week. In that particular Salat — in Salatul Fajr on Friday — the Prophet S.A.W. used to recite Surah As-Sajdah (الم تنزيل) in the first Raka'ah and Surah Al-Insan (also known as Surah Ad-Dahr) in the second Raka'ah. This would be the beginning of his day of Friday.
Arriving Early to the Masjid
He S.A.W. used to encourage his companions also to give importance to this particular day. He S.A.W. used to encourage his companions to try their best to arrive in the Masjid early. He S.A.W. has said in a hadith that is collected by the vast majority of the Muhaddithin:
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 881; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 850)
Rasulullah S.A.W. said: whoever gets ready for the Jumu'ah on the day of Friday, and he takes a shower, and then he puts perfume on, and he wears the best of his clothes, then he makes his way to the Masjid and tries to arrive early before the Imam appears for delivering the Khutbah — and in other narrations the Prophet S.A.W. has informed us about the great reward for those who arrive early in the Masjid for the Khutbah — then when the person arrives in the Masjid he performs as many Nawafil as Allah has decreed for him, and then he keeps himself busy with the Dhikr of Allah until the Imam appears on the Minbar and the Imam starts the Khutbah, and then he tries to listen to the Khutbah attentively and carefully with full concentration, and he does not talk to anyone, and he does not keep himself busy with anything, and he gives full attention to the Khutbah, and then he offers the Salah with the Imam — anyone who does all these acts, the Prophet S.A.W. says, as soon as the person finishes the Salah of the Jumu'ah, Allah forgives all the sins of his past week.
The Obligation of Listening to the Khutbah
That is why one of the best deeds that we need to concentrate on on the day of Friday is the Khutbah of the Jumu'ah. Alhamdulillah, the vast majority of us try our best to arrive in the Masjid early. When you arrive in the Masjid before the Imam appears, at least perform two Raka'ah of Tahiyyatul Masjid. And if someone is late and he arrives in the Masjid while the Imam has already started the Khutbah, then again it is not permissible for the person to sit down without performing two Raka'ah.
The Prophet S.A.W. once, while he was delivering the Khutbah, saw one of his companions enter the Masjid and sit down. The Prophet S.A.W. asked him: "Have you offered any Salah?" He said no. The Prophet S.A.W. then instructed him and said: "Stand up, perform two Raka'ah, and try your best to make these two Raka'ah brief and short — do not prolong the Qiyam or the Ruku and Sujood in these two Raka'ah."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 930; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 875)
That is why it is not permissible for a person to sit down when he enters the Masjid — even when the Imam is delivering the Khutbah — without performing two Raka'ah. But if you arrive early, before the Imam appears on the Minbar, then pray as many Nawafil as you can. This is one of the misconceptions that needs to be cleared up: on the day of Friday there is no restriction on Nawafil or Sunnahs before the Khutbah begins, because the Jumu'ah prayer is different from the Zuhr prayer. So pray as many Nawafil as you can.
Once the Imam starts the Khutbah, there are certain etiquettes that we need to bear in mind. Talking to each other while the Imam is delivering the Khutbah is something that is considered an evil act. The Prophet S.A.W. has forbidden keeping yourself busy with anything other than concentrating on the Khutbah. You have to listen to the Imam attentively.
How many times have we seen people talking to each other, or — especially amongst our youth, may Allah guide them all — playing games on mobile phones, or text messaging, or flicking through social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube — sitting in the Masjid! Bear in mind: listening to this particular talk, this particular sermon of the day of Friday, is not like any other talk or any other reminder. You are not sinful if you don't attend a Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday talk — if you miss it, you will not be sinful. But missing the Khutbah of the day of Friday is one of the major sins, as the scholars have considered, and this is based on the hadith of Rasulullah S.A.W.:
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1052; Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 500)
Whoever misses three Khutbahs consecutively out of carelessness, negligence, or not giving importance to the Khutbah of the Jumu'ah, Allah places a seal on his heart from accepting any kind of guidance. A severe warning — which shows that attending and listening to the Imam on the day of Friday, attending this sermon, is compulsory.
Also, this Khutbah is different from other sermons or any other talk, because you are allowed — if there is a need — to talk to each other while a speaker is giving any speech or lecture. But when it comes to the Khutbah of the Jumu'ah, you are not allowed to speak to each other, to talk to each other. The Prophet S.A.W. has even said: to the extent that anyone who sees someone talking to others and tries to stop them from talking — even that person has committed an evil act.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 934; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 851)
To that level, to that extent, it is important to attend the Khutbah and listen to it carefully.
Other Virtues and Etiquettes of Friday
Reciting Surah Al-Kahf
Along with this, there are many other virtues and etiquettes of this particular day — the day of Friday. The Prophet S.A.W. has encouraged us to recite Surah Al-Kahf on this particular day. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet S.A.W. said: whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Friday, Allah will cause a light to appear from underneath his feet on the Day of Judgment, reaching the peak of the skies, and he will be walking in that light on the Day of Judgment.
(Sunan al-Bayhaqi; authenticated by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami', Hadith 6470)
Sending Salawat upon the Prophet S.A.W.
On this particular day, the Prophet S.A.W. has also encouraged us to send salutation upon him S.A.W. abundantly, because this is one of the rights of the Prophet S.A.W. upon us. It is his right upon us that we send salutation and Salah upon him all the time, as Allah has ordered us in the Quran — where Allah sends his mercy and his angels make Du'a to Allah to send his mercy upon his Prophet:
O you who believe, send salutation upon Rasulullah S.A.W. and send Salah upon him. This is an obligation upon us. But on this day — this particular day — it is highly recommended. Rasulullah S.A.W. said: on this particular day, increase sending salutation upon me.
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1047; Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 1374)
Preparing for Jumu'ah: Ghusl, Clothes, and Perfume
My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, as I mentioned, the hadith of the Prophet S.A.W. encourages us to give special importance to this day — the day of Friday. He S.A.W. has encouraged us to take a shower on this day, to wear the best of our clothes, and to put perfume on, and then try our best to arrive in the Masjid early.
When it comes to putting perfume on, particularly for our sisters and mothers, they must be careful that when you put perfume on, the smell should not be detected by non-Mahram. Obviously there are other restrictions as well — it is not permissible for our sisters and mothers to put on that kind of perfume so it must be very subtle and should not be something that anyone and everyone can smell.
Also, this particular advice to our sisters and mothers: when you come on the day of Friday for attending the Khutbah of the Jumu'ah, bear in mind that you are coming to the Masjid in order to please Allah, in order to earn reward. Therefore you must try your best not to do anything that displeases Allah. Sometimes we hear the complaint — we receive the complaint from the sisters — that they keep themselves busy in talking to each other, or some even come and attend the Masjid without Hijab, without Jilbab. This is something that we all know: for a Muslim woman, it is compulsory, as Allah said in the Qur'an:
O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that they should wear Jilbab. O Prophet! Instruct your women, your daughters, and all the women of the believers that whenever they go out they must put their Jilbab on. Just imagine — you are coming to the Masjid in order to please Allah. This must be your intention. If you have any other intention, then you may not be rewarded for that. You must have the intention to please Allah — this should be your sole intention of attending the Masjid for Salatul Jumu'ah and for the Khutbah of the Jumu'ah. In this case, you must try your best not to do anything that displeases Allah.
The Special Hour of Accepted Du'a on Friday
With regards to the virtues of this day, the Prophet S.A.W. has informed us that in this particular day there is a very short time — as the companion said, when the Prophet S.A.W. made mention of that short time, he S.A.W. illustrated with his fingers — a very short time in this particular day in which, if the slave of Allah, if a Muslim keeps himself asking Allah, making Du'a to Allah, Allah never rejects his Du'a.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 935; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 852)
The companions have different opinions with regards to that particular time. Some said it is the time when the Imam appears on the Minbar. Some others said this is the very short time when the Imam sits after the first Khutbah and before he gets up for the second Khutbah. Others said this is between the time of the Imam leaving the Minbar and beginning the Salat. But the most authentic opinion — the opinion that the majority of the scholars have preferred — is that this is the time between Asr and Maghrib every single Friday.
We find many examples and Qisas from our predecessors, and from our own experience, that our Salaf Saliheen gave importance to that time, and the Du'a that they made on the day of Friday between Asr and Maghrib was accepted. So this is one of the times that we should try our best to take the best usage of.
May Allah give us Tawfiq and ability to understand the importance and significance of this day. May Allah give us Tawfiq and ability to earn more and more reward by following the Sunnah of Rasulullah S.A.W. May Allah give us Tawfiq and ability to understand his religion and may Allah make it easy for all of us.