Common errors made during Jumuah | Message In A Passage Ep.3 | Ustadh Mohamad Baajour

Common Errors Made During Jumuah

We ask Allah to teach us what benefits us, benefit us from what He taught us, and increase us in knowledge. Ameen, ya rabbal alameen. May Allah bless this gathering and make us from the people at the end of the gathering. They will be taught, قُومُوا مَغْفُورًا لَكُمْ، قَدْ بُدِّلَتْ سَيِّئَاتُكُمْ حَسَنَاتٍ. Ameen, ya rabbal alameen.

So, we continue with our series where we take an ayah from the Quran and we mention the sabab of the nuzul, the reason for the revelation, and of course, all the benefit from the revelation of this ayah. So tonight's ayah is from surat al-jumu'ah. The last ayah of surat al-jumu'ah, well let's start from the last page.

Here is the ayah:

Allah named the surah after Yawm al-Jumu'ah. And in that surah, he told every believing man, leave everything and come to the masjid and pray Salat al-Jumu'ah.

The Reason for Revelation

What is the reason for the revelation of this ayah? And what are some of the lessons that you could learn? In Sahih al-Bukhari, Jabir ibn Abdullah radiallahu anhu, he said, while we were praying Jumu'ah with Rasulallah ﷺ, some camels loaded with food arrived from Sham. There was some kind of shortage of food in Medina. And as Rasulallah ﷺ was giving the khutbah, a caravan loaded with food arrived from Sham. The people diverted their attention towards the camels. When the people heard that, they got up, they left Rasulallah ﷺ standing up, and they went to see the camels with the food. And only, Jabir continues, only twelve of us stayed. Only twelve of us stayed.

So, look, subhanAllah, look at the love of Allah to Rasulallah ﷺ. He revealed the surah. He revealed an ayah that will be recited till the Day of Judgment, reminding, can you imagine how the sahaba felt when this ayah was revealed? How dare you get up and leave Rasulallah ﷺ giving the khutbah, and you go after dunya matters?

If they see any kind of trade or any kind of amusement, انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا They ran, they scrambled towards it, and they left you standing, ya Muhammad. Qul, tell them, what Allah has is better than lahw, than amusement, and better than tijara.

The Wisdom in the Order of Words

Now here, before we continue, I just want to bring up something for the people who understand Arabic. Allah said, وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا Listen carefully, so everybody could benefit. Allah said, if they saw tijara, trade, or lahw, amusement, they left you and went for it. And then when it came at the end, قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ The beginning, it was tijara, and then lahw. And at the end, it was lahw, then tijara. Why?

Listen. The reason why they left the khutbah was tijara or lahw. Tijara, right? They left for tijara. So Allah said, put the tijara first. But when it came as a general rule, not everybody is doing tijara. The kids are not doing tijara. The women are not doing tijara. The older people are not doing tijara. So he put, tell them that amusement and away from Allah is, and the tijara are more rewarding with Allah. He put the lahw because it's general. This now, we are talking about general rule. In the beginning, we were talking about a specific incident. But in general, lahw and tijara are, Allah, قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّهِ What Allah has is better than both. But why did he do this here and do that there? Subhanallah, that is the hikmah of the Quran.

The Obligation of Attending Jumu'ah

So ya akhwan, attending Jumu'ah in the masjid is a fard. It's an obligation upon every believing man. This is not optional. This is so dangerous that Rasulullah ﷺ said, Whomsoever miss Jumu'ah three times, خُتِمَ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ The heart is sealed. The scholars said, sealed with nifaq, munafiq. Some scholars went and said three in general. Three Jumu'ah without any valid excuse. No really very sick, something happened, got in an accident. No excuse. Some of them said three. Some of them said three in a row. Sealed as munafiq.

Prioritizing Jumu'ah in Your Career

So my brothers, and especially my young brothers, who are maybe soon getting into the work field. When you are applying for a job, when you are applying for that job, before you ask about the benefits, before you ask about the vacation, before you even ask about the salary, Wallahi, you ask, Can I have seven, eight minutes for Salat al-Dhuhr? And one hour, one hour and twenty minutes for Jumu'ah?

Because of that answer, I told you the story before, I will repeat it again because of that. One of our brothers, Filipino, he's from Philippines. And he's ten days old in Islam. Ten days old. Not born like most of us. Ten days old. He applied for a job. The job interview came. He went there, he saw literally one hundred people looking for that job. Because that job, unbelievable pay, unbelievable benefits, insurance, you name it. Everything you dream about.

So when he saw all these people, he asked them, Yes, yes, we are here for that job. Subhanallah, he sat down when his turn came. Let's say I'm the guy interviewing him. He sat down here. Or let me, I'm the Filipino brother, and the brother is sitting here interviewing him. So, hello, hello. So the Filipino brother asked the question. He said, Can I ask you a question? The man said, I am the one who asks questions, not you. He was rude from the beginning. He said, Sir, I don't mean to be rude at all. I just want to ask you a question to save my time and your time. What you're looking for, I have 20 years experience. I don't think you're going to find anyone better than me. I'm telling you from now. But I have this question in order not to waste my time and your time. He said, What's the question? He said, Every Jumu'ah, I need one hour off. If you say no, why should we continue? If you say yes, Bismillah. So the man said, Yes. He said, Okay, Bismillah. Who got the job? Who got the job? He got the job. Because the man is thinking, if this man is worried about an entity he cannot see, how he's going to act in my business, in our business? This is unbelievable. Just put Allah first and you would see the barakah.

Oh, Sheikh, I am desperate, I am... Ya Habibi, Ya Habibi. Who's the Razzaq? Who's the Razzaq? Immediately, you gave up Allah and His rules for something that is guaranteed. Allah guaranteed your income. Guaranteed your rizq. And you immediately... Look, listen, listen. Allah threw a small test for you and you failed. You failed. He threw a test for you. Let me just deprive him for a few months and see how he's gonna react. And you failed. No. Stand firm. No, no, no, no. My rizq is guaranteed. I will not give it up for... Jumu'ah. This is not... They're not gonna let me pray Duha. No. They're not gonna let me fast Monday and Thursday. This is Jumu'ah. It's a surah, revealed. Ayat. Leave everything and come to Jumu'ah.

The Virtues of Friday

Now, Yawm al-Jumu'ah, Rasulullah ﷺ, he said, It is the best day that the sun ever risen upon is Yawm al-Jumu'ah. It is our weekly Eid. It is the day that Adam was created. It is the day that Adam entered Jannah. It is the day of judgment. Yawm al-Qiyamah is Yawm al-Jumu'ah. It is a big, huge day. And literally, we are now in the night of that day.

(Narrated by Salman al-Farisi)

Rasulullah ﷺ, he said, and the hadith is narrated by Salman al-Farisi. A man who performs ghusl on Friday, purifies what he can and uses perfume. He perfumes himself in his house and he goes to the masjid and does not cause separation between two people. He came quietly, calmly, walking to the masjid, remembering Allah, prays what Allah has prescribed for him, and then he listens to the imam quietly. All his sins between that Friday and next Friday are forgiven.

The Sunnahs of Friday

So, some of the sunnahs of tomorrow, let's go through them. Some of the sunnahs of tomorrow. First, you come to Fajr and Jumu'ah. That's every day, not only on Jumu'ah. And tomorrow's Fajr is at 6 a.m. The sunnah is to recite in the first rak'ah, Surat al-Sajdah, and the second rak'ah, Surat al-Insan, Fajr of Jumu'ah.

You go home, subhanAllah, and you take a shower, ghusl of Jumu'ah. You put some good smell. You dress with some nice, clean clothing. And if you're coming from work, and you work at a place that maybe smells, like a restaurant, a mechanic shop, anything that smells, please have another outfit, have another thawb in the car, clean and smelling good. And you put it on and you come to the masjid. Because the angels get annoyed, like Rasulallah ﷺ said, from the smell of garlic.

Similarly, a few days ago, I was praying next to someone. May Allah guide me and him. Every time he says, Allahu Akbar, or he turned out to be from the people who do raf' al-yadayn. Every time he does raf' al-yadayn, Allahu Akbar. The smell knocks an ox. Knocks him off. I couldn't focus on the salah completely. I don't know the excuse. Maybe he has an excuse, Allah knows. But, dear brothers, take your adornment at every masjid. Look good every time you come to the masjid. Look good, smell good. This is the house of Allah. When we go to a nice place or party, we dress the best. How about when we come to the house of Allah? I'm not telling you to put a suit and a tie. But at least, you know, have something in the car that is always clean and hanging. Bismillah. You put it on top of your clothing and you come.

Another sunnah is to read surah al-Kahf. If you can read surah al-Kahf. You have an option to start from tonight. Because it's still Jum'ah, right? And you have an option. You have from now till Maghrib tomorrow to read surah al-Kahf.

Another sunnah, to make a lot of salat on Rasulallah ﷺ. أَكْثِرُوا Rasulallah ﷺ said, make a lot of salat, abundant salat upon me. Either dedicate a certain time, like I'm gonna do 10 minutes of salat on Rasulallah ﷺ. I'm gonna do half an hour. Or dedicate a certain amount. I'm gonna do 500, 200, 1000. But make the salat on Rasulallah ﷺ in Yawm al-Jum'ah more than any other day. Just because of this hadith, أَكْثِرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَيَّ Make a lot of salat upon me.

The Amazing Reward for Early Attendance

Now, the hadith that I told you in Ramadan and I would love to repeat it. Rasulallah ﷺ, and we mentioned that at least if you can do this hadith, apply this hadith, once a year. Once a year. Some of us are doing it every week. May Allah reward them. And our brothers who live overseas, they do it all the time.

Rasulullah ﷺ said, Whomsoever غَسَلَ وَاغْتَسَلَ. غَسَلَ وَاغْتَسَلَ have two meanings. غَسَلَ means he washed his head and اغْتَسَلَ he took a full shower. Another meaning is he did ghusl and he made his wife do ghusl, meaning they had a relationship. غَسَلَ وَاغْتَسَلَ وَبَكَّرَ وَابْتَكَرَ and then he came very early to the masjid. وَمَشَى وَلَمْ يَرْكَبْ and he walked and he did not ride.

Now you tell me, Shaykh I live five miles away and 90 degrees I'll get to the masjid like the guy you smell yesterday. So what do you do? Like we said before, park in the corner because obviously you're not going to walk all this distance and walk from that corner to the masjid to apply the hadith. Right? Keep in mind you have to have all these steps to get that beyond amazing reward. And he got close to the imam, he got in the first rows and he listened attentively. He will get for every step he made to the masjid one year of fasting and one year of qiyam. Are you with me? Are you comprehending? Every step, one year. Usually when you see such a huge reward, the hadith is either fake or fabricated or you know, مُنْكَر or ضَعِيف جِدًّا.

The Immense Reward of Walking to Jumu'ah

The scholar said this is the most rewarding authentic hadith ever. Every step, if you park by epic streets and you walk here, you have at least 100 steps. At least. 100 steps, 100 years it's recorded you performed قيام and 100 years recorded that you performed قيام. How can I let something like this go? Let's try to apply it tomorrow. Once a month, once every six months. This is an ocean of حسنات and we are neglecting it. For what? And now you know. Now you know. So make the intention while you're walking.

When I mentioned this a year ago, a brother parked at Kroger. I looked at him and I said, Allah reward him. You know this is a beautiful thing when you hear something and you want to apply it immediately. I don't have much time. I want to apply as much as I can.

Common Mistakes That Ruin Our Jumu'ah

I want to take advantage of this moment and mention some of the matters that really are mistakes and they ruin our Jumu'ah and we can stop them easily.

1. Talking During the Khutbah

Number one, talking to each other during the khutbah. You know how many times, may Allah forgive and protect our sisters. Sister, you don't have to come to Jumu'ah. It's not a must upon you. It's a must upon your husband. But if you want to come, you're welcome. Nobody is going to prevent you like Rasulullah said. Welcome. But please, please, every Jumu'ah, sister text me, "Sheikh wallahi, we did not understand anything from the khutbah because they keep talking." You came to the masjid to talk. You came to talk and chat.

Forget about the sisters. The brothers, talking and joking. As-salamu alaykum. Ya habibi, the khatib is giving khutbah. As-salamu alaykum. What as-salamu alaykum? You know what one brother told me that was like in New York. He said, "Sheikh, if you stayed five more minutes, I would have sold the car." He's doing business. تجارة. We're talking about تجارة. He's doing business. Five more minutes, I would have sold the car. I said, are you serious? Are you kidding me? He said, "Sheikh, the entire business is slow. Probably, masjid is barakah." Ya habibi, you lost your Jumu'ah.

If Rasulullah said, you cannot tell, brother Iyad, you cannot say, "be quiet." If you say, "be quiet," your Jumu'ah is gone. Be quiet. How about selling a car? How about, "wa alaykum as-salam. Hey, what's up? Where are you? I haven't seen you." No, no, nothing. Nothing. Worst case scenario, somebody says, "wa alaykum as-salam," you raise your hand, and after the salat, you tell him, "Brother, may Allah reward you, but during the salat, nothing, completely nothing." Nothing at all.

2. Using Phones During Khutbah

And this is the worst part, maybe you do not see it because you're looking at me, you're looking at the khateeb, but the khateeb is seeing everybody. The phone. Ya Allah, ya Allah, listen, listen carefully. Allah punished the yahood, and he made it the whole Saturday, you can do anything. The whole Saturday, the whole Saturday.

As a matter of fact, we have one of our brothers, he's a limo driver in New York, and he told me that he was driving a college student, a female, to her school, and he knows where she lives because she goes all the time with him, but that happened on a Saturday. So she told him, "No, no, no, no, don't drop me next to the house, because Saturday, we're not supposed to ride cars, drop me one mile away from the house." So the whole Saturday, they're not supposed to do anything.

When it came to Muslims, Allah made it so easy for us. One hour a week, and still, we are addicted to dunya. We play on our phone, we come, when the imam is standing up, I don't have half an hour. Like when a guy called, he said, "What time is Jumu'ah?" I said, 1:45. He said, "No sheikh, what time is Jumu'ah? I don't have time. Tell me what time the salat starts." Wallahi, wallahi, we're laughing, but it makes you cry.

And we wonder, why this is happening to us? Why people are not fearing us? Why? Why? You don't have half an hour to Allah, and you're wondering, why this is happening to the ummah? Half an hour? Half an hour, you don't have a week. A week, half an hour, not half an hour a day, half an hour a week. You clean yourself.

3. Coming Late to Jumu'ah

Wallahi, you know, our brothers and sisters overseas are so lucky. You know, most of the countries, they take Friday completely off. So from the morning, you see the father coming with his kids, and they're going to Jumu'ah, and they're preparing themselves. SubhanAllah, ya akhi, come half an hour before.

You know, when Rasulullah he divided the people who come to the masjid, you know the hadith, whosoever comes first, as if he's given a camel, and then he's given a cow, and a sheep, and a chicken, and then an egg. Right? So, you know what time is the people who give camel, you know what time they come to the masjid? They pray fajr, they go home, make ghusl, and come back. These are the people who have given as a camel, as a sadaqah, every Friday. We are the people of eggs. جماعة البيض Allah al-musta'an.

4. Sitting in the Back When You Come Early

Another mistake is, I come early, I come early to the masjid. Instead of being in the first rows, which is a huge reward, I sit in the back. And I have no problem with my back or anything. I sit in the back, and I lose.

Allah and His angels make salat on the people of the first row. And I'm sitting and I'm neglecting this. I came early, but I sit all the way in the back, and I lose this, this huge, huge reward.

5. Crossing Over People to Reach the Front

Another mistake, and I, subhanAllah, there's a brother, who, I noticed, comes every Jumu'ah, at least when I'm giving the khutbah, he comes on the second khutbah. Allah knows, maybe he's excused, this is the only time he could leave from his work. Allah knows. I'm not, but his problem is, he walks in, and he crosses everybody to come to the first row. Every time. Last time, I don't know if you were here, did you see me? I let him in the khutbah. "Brother, habibi, where are you going? Where are you going?"

You come so late, and you want to cross everybody, and Rasulullah منع أن تخطي الرقاب. Rasulullah he prohibited crossing over the neck. You come, if all of us apply the rule, keep filling up the rows, khalas, when I first walk in, I sit down. I don't have to go look, and there's somebody over there, and there's space, let me cross. This is not allowed, ya akhwan. As a matter of fact, you all know the hadith, Rasulullah when he saw somebody doing this, he said, from the minbar, he told him, "Stop, you cannot do that."

Missing the Angels Recording Names

These are some of the mistakes that take place, and subhanAllah, during the Jumu'ah, Rasulullah told us, angels, Allah ya akhwan, angels stand at the door. And record the names of the people who are coming. Can you imagine, an angel writing your name, and you missed it, because you're joking outside with the security guard.

You know that 1:45, the imam is going to stand on the minbar, 1:43, 1:44, and you started to joke, and joke, and talk to this guy, and this guy, and you walked in 1:50. You know what you lost? The angels sat down, this is the hadith of Rasulullah, they sit down, close the books, listen to the khutbah, and you missed all this, for what?

I'm not saying, you couldn't find the parking, it took long, no, no, alhamdulillah, you're excused. Many people are excused, but I'm talking about the guy who's just, you know, wasting time, and come, "Hey, what's up," and you're losing all this, ya akhi, for what? It's once a week. So inshaAllah, let's try our best to apply all these sunan.