Brothers and sisters! It is observed that when people come to the Masjid to perform their Jumu’ah prayer, some of them do not observe the etiquette of Jumu’ah as it should be observed, especially at the time when the khutbah is being delivered. To remind ourselves, I wish to discuss briefly in today’s khutbah the importance, virtues and etiquettes of Jumu’ah. As Muslims, we should be mindful of the importance of honoring Jumu’ah as it should be honored.
Jumu’ah is a very special day when Muslims come together and remember Allah (SWT) collectively. The importance of Jumu’ah is such that on hearing the call to Jumu’ah prayer, believers are commanded to leave all worldly activities that they may be engaged in, and rush towards the remembrance of Allah.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
“O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, drop all business and rush to the remembrance of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew.” (al-Jumu’ah, 62:9)
Khutbah and salah are essential parts of what has been called ‘the remembrance of Allah’ in the context of the Jumu’ah prayer. Its main ingredients include: (1) the call for the prayer (adhan); (2) the sermon (khutbah) by the Imam; and (3) the two rak’at prayer in congregation led by the Imam in an audible voice. As a matter of fact, every prayer or salah is Allah’s remembrance (dhikr) for Allah says:
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي
“And establish prayer (salah) for my remembrance” (Ta Ha, 20:14).
The Jumu’ah prayer, however, is unique in certain aspects. It represents a built-in arrangement for the education of the Muslims. The salah is preceded by the khutbah. The khutbah is given in two parts. These consist of praising, thanking, and glorifying Allah (SWT), pronouncement of testimony of faith, invoking peace and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and remembrance of Allah.
One of the main objectives of the khutbah is to teach and educate the people about the meaning and message of Islam, to awaken their moral consciousness, increase their understanding of the Islamic way of life, reflect upon the situation in which Muslims find themselves, and share their concerns, aspirations, and obligations towards each other and towards humanity at large. It also provides the members of every community an opportunity to get together, meet and know each other, share concerns and become more integrated. The feeling of brotherhood and of oneness of the ummah is strengthened.
The Jumu’ah prayer is an obligation upon every free, adult, sane, resident Muslim who has the ability to attend the prayer and does not have a valid excuse to miss it. It is not an obligation, however, upon a slave, a woman, a child, a sick person, and a traveler. We must never be neglectful of the Jumu’ah prayer. The Prophet (SAW) said, “People must cease neglecting Jumu’ah or else Allah will put a seal over their hearts and they will truly be among the negligent.” We learn through another hadith that whoever missed three Jumu’ah prayers in a row out of negligence will have a seal put over his heart by Allah (SWT).
What are some of the virtues of Jumu’ah? According to a hadith, “The best day on which the sun rises is Jumu’ah. It was on this day that Adam (AS) was created, the day on which he was granted entry into Paradise, the day when he was taken out from it, and the day on which the Day of Judgment will take place.” The day Adam (AS) was removed from Paradise is also significant because that became the cause for man’s existence in this world, which itself is a great blessing.
We learn through a hadith that there is a time in Jumu’ah in which if one asks anything of Allah (SWT), it is granted to him unless what one asks for is unlawful. The Prophet (SAW) is also reported to have said, “Jumu’ah is the best of all days and the most virtuous in the sight of Allah (SWT). It has more greatness than Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha.” It is a day on which sins are forgiven. According to a hadith, “The five daily prayers and from one Jumu’ah to the next is an expiation for whatever sins come in between them.” The scholars have written that this hadith refers to minor sins because major sins are not forgiven without making repentance (tawbah). A Prophetic tradition tells us that the charity given on Jumu’ah is greater (in reward) than any other day of the week. It is said that once Ibn Abbas (RA) was reciting the following verse:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and chosen for you Islam as the acceptable way of life”(al-Ma’idah, 5:3).
A Jew was sitting near him. On hearing this verse being recited he remarked: “If this verse was revealed to us, we would have celebrated that day as a day of Eid.” Ibn Abbas replied: “This verse was revealed on two Eids, i.e. on the day of Jumu’ah and the day of Arafah.”
What are some of the etiquettes of Jumu’ah? Taking a bath (ghusl) on Jumu’ah is among the Prophet’s Sunnah. Therefore, it is preferred for anyone; man or woman, elderly or young, traveler or resident who desires to attend Salat ul-Jumu’ah to take a bath. It is also recommended that one clips one’s nails on the day of Jumu’ah. The brushing of teeth or using the miswak is also highly recommended. According to a hadith, brushing the teeth purifies the mouth and brings the pleasure of the Lord. The Prophet (SAW) has emphatically urged the strict observance of oral hygiene at all times, especially during prayers. We have to ensure that there is no bad or foul odor emitted from our mouths. The need for oral hygiene is also emphasized because we recite the Qur’an or the words of Allah (Kalamullah) through our mouth. Dressing well on the day of Jumu’ah is another area which needs our attention. The Prophet (SAW) insisted that we should put on our finest clothing on Jumu’ah. Allah (SWT) says:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ
“O Children of Adam! Wear fine clothing at every time and place of prayer….” (al-A’raf, 7:31)
This is all the more desirable on the day of Eid, and Jumu’ah is a day of Eid for Muslims. Use of perfume is also recommended. It is one of the things that the Prophet (SAW) used to love. The preparation for Jumu’ah prayer is part of the Islamic culture and this is observable throughout the Muslim world; Alhamdulillah.
Another thing we should do on the day of Jumu’ah is to try to be at the Masjid before the Imam arrives to deliver his khutbah. The earlier a person goes the more reward he gets. It is Wajib (mandatory) for every Muslim to attend the khutbah from the very beginning. The khutbah is an integral and inseparable part of the Jumu’ah prayer. It is established by authentic sources that the khutbah of Jumu’ah stands for two rak’at of prayer. Every day other than the day of Jumu’ah, the dhuhr prayer consists of four rak’at. There is no dhuhr prayer on Jumu’ah. The Jumu’ah prayer consists of only two rak’at. The other two rak’at of dhuhr are substituted by the khutbah. Only those who miss their Jumu’ah for any reason have to pray the normal four rak’at of dhuhr.
The khutbah is to be listened to attentively. It is forbidden to engage in greeting, shaking hands, talking, socializing, using the phone, or any such activities once the khutbah has started. If we are not mindful of these things, we will lose the blessings and goodness of Jumu’ah. To engage in conversation before the khutbah starts is permissible, but laghw or vain talk should be avoided. It is also disliked to walk between people who are sitting during the Jumu’ah congregation unless there is an empty spot to fill.
People who come late to Jumu’ah prayers because of laziness, or for any other reason, unless there is a valid reason or an emergency, then these individuals are similar to those whom Allah (SWT) reprimanded in the Qur’an regarding being heedless of Jumu’ah. This was the attitude of some of the people at the time of the Prophet (SAW). This phenomenon is observed even now. Some of our brothers wait until the Imam is about to finish his khutbah; then they come in to catch the two rak’at of Salat ul-Jumu’ah. We should be very careful about punctuality while attending the Jumu’ah prayer. May Allah bless us with a deep understanding of the deen.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Brothers and sisters! Sending salutations and blessings (Salawat wa Salam) upon the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during the night and day of Jumu’ah is also highly recommended and is conducive toward maximizing the benefits of Jumu’ah. It is the Prophet (SAW) who brought guidance to us. He guided us from darkness to light. He purified our hearts by the grace of Allah (SWT). In gratitude and appreciation for the great blessing we received through him from Allah (SWT), it is only proper that we invoke Allah’s blessing upon him, especially on the day and night of Jumu’ah. For Muslims, Jumu’ah is a working day. It was not legislated to consider Jumu’ah as a day off and not work during it, because Allah (SWT) says in Surat al-Jumu’ah,
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“When the prayer is finished, spread through the earth and seek Allah´s bounty and remember Allah much so that hopefully you will be successful” (al-Jumu’ah, 62:10)
Living in the West, there are two important matters regarding Jumu’ah that we should take care of. The first is that we must not neglect Jumu’ah prayer because of work, study, or other engagements, unless there is a valid reason or an emergency. The second matter to watch for is not to lose one’s interest in the importance of Jumu’ah. It is our duty to remind ourselves and other Muslims about this great day—the most prominent, the most honored, and the most virtuous day in the sight of Allah (SWT).
May Allah (SWT) make us conscious about the importance, virtues and etiquettes of Jumu’ah so that we benefit from its great blessings, and not be among the losers.
