(FRIDAY PRAYER (Salat AL-Jumuᶦa

FRIDAY PRAYER (Salat AL-Jumuᶦa)

It is a different, not shortened prayer. You must perform one prayer unit, at least, to make it valid.

If you missed the second prayer unit, and came after the leader had raised from bowing down, your Friday prayer would not be valid and you should perform the noon prayer (four prayer units) instead of it.

Its provision:

It is an individual duty on every male Muslim.

Its legitimacy:

It has been made obligatory in Makkah in the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem and his Ascent to the Seventh Heaven, along with the five prayers, but the Prophet has performed it only after migration. 
He did so because one of its validity conditions is that being in public and in a group, and circumstances in Makkah did not allow that. 
The Prophet performed the first Friday prayer at the entry of AL-Madinah among the members of Salim ibn ᶦAouf tribe, after several days of his arrival in AL Madinah.

God says ﴾O you who have believed, when [AL Adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuᶦah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew﴿Chapter of Friday. Verse NO 9

●Ibn Masᶦud reported: The Prophet said about people who are absent from Friday prayer: “I was about to command a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn those who absent themselves from Friday prayer in their houses.” [Muslim].

Conditions of its obligation

Islam, adulthood, mindfulness, maleness, residence, and healthy body.

Conditions of its validity

1) Number of praying persons must be forty resident males.

2) It must be performed at noon.

If one of the two previous conditions was not met, it would be performed, instead, as a noon prayer (four units). It must not be performed by following the radio or T.V.

Its obligations and pillars

1- Two speeches before prayer. The leader stands during them, if possible, and sits between them.

2- Two prayer units.

*The first speech must include praising God, saying “Pray and peace be upon His Messenger.”, recommendation of God fear and reciting some of the Holy Qurᶦan.

*The second speech must include what previously mentioned in the first speech, in addition to invocation for believers.

*An orator must be male, and if he is exhausted after delivering the two speeches, another person can lead people in the prayer.

●Ibn ᶦUmar said that the Messenger of Allah used to deliver two speeches on Friday and sit down between them. [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

Sunnah practices on Friday (Sunan AL Jumuᶦah)

❶Bathing and applying perfume before going to the mosque. Also, trimming the nails, hair cutting, and wearing white clothes.

●It was narrated from Ibn AL-Sabbaq (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah said on a Friday, “Muslims! Allah has made this day a festival day, so take a bath and it will not harm whoever has perfume to apply some of it, and use a tooth-stick.” [Ibn-Majah].

❷Going early to the mosque.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever takes a bath on Friday, like the bath which is obligatory after sexual discharge and then 
goes (to the mosque), he is like one who offers a she-camel as a sacrifice to seek the pleasure of Allah, whoever comes in the second hour is like one offers a cow, whoever comes in the third hour is like one offers a ram with horns, whoever comes in the fourth hour is like one who offers a hen, and whoever comes in the fifth hour is like one who offers an egg. 
And when the prayer leader comes out (ascends the pulpit), the angels (who write the names of those who come to the mosque before the coming of the leader) close (their record) in order to listen to the speech.” [Muslim].

❸Listening carefully to the speech.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “When you tell your companion (on Friday) to be silent while the leader is delivering the speech, you are guilty of idle talk.” [Muslim].

❹The leader should shorten his speech and prolong the prayer.

●ᶦAmmar ibn Yasir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Prolonging prayer and shortening the speech indicate the religious knowledge of the person.  Make your prayer long and your speech short.” [Muslim].

❺Friday voluntary prayer (Sunnat AL Jumuᶦah) is after the obligatory Friday prayer, and it is four prayer units.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “When anyone among you performs prayer after the Friday prayer, he should pray four prayer units.” [Muslim]. 

❻Frequent invocation, alms, and saying prayers for the Prophet, as Friday is one of the great days.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “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. And the Hour will occur on no day other than Friday.” [Muslim].

●Abu- Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said while talking about the merits of Friday, “There is an hour (opportune time) on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand.” And he (the Prophet) pointed with hand to indicate that this period of time is very short.

●It was narrated from Aus ibn Aus (May Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet said, “Among the best of your days is Friday. So, on that day pray (invoke many blessings) for me, for such prayers are displayed to me.” [Abu-Daoud].

❼It is not permissible to perform optional night prayer on the night preceding Friday, or fast on Friday, as it is considered a festival.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Do not choose the night preceding Friday among all other nights for performing optional night prayer (Tahajjud), and do not choose Friday among all other days for fasting, unless it coincides with the days one regularly fasts.” [The Two Scholars].

●Abu- Hurairah narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said, “None of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts before it, or he fasts after it.”

Excuses which allow absence from Friday prayer

Extreme hot or cold weather, illness, and fear for honor and body. 

Prayer validity conditions, pillars,and sunan

Prayer validity conditions, pillars,and sunan

Prayer Validity Conditions:

1) Purity of organs from uncleanness and impurity.
        
2) Ablution before prayer.

3) Being certain that it is time to pray.

4) Heading to Kaᶦbah direction (AL Qiblah), except in war.

5) Covering private parts with clean clothes.

The private parts of a man are between his umbilicus and knees; the private parts of a woman include all of her body, except her face and hands. There is a debate about covering her feet. In summary, she should wear a pair of socks when she prays outside her home.

6) Standing on a clean place. In the schools of Shafii, Malik, and Abu-Hanifah, prayer is disliked in graveyards, slaughterhouses, dumps, barns, public baths, on the road, and on the roof of AL-Kaᶦbah.

But Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal considered prayer in these places is invalid.

Note: There is an exemption from heading to AL-Kaᶦbah direction in fear prayer, and in voluntary prayer during travel.

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Pillars of Prayer

The Pillar of Prayer: Validity of prayer depends on it, and prostration of forgetfulness does not deputize for it.

1)Standing up: If a praying person is able to do it. Sitting is not permissible in obligatory prayer if  a praying person is able to stand up. If he was unable to stand up, he would pray sitting. If he was unable to sit, he would pray lying on his side. If he was unable to lie on his side, he would pray lying on his back with his face towards AL-Kaᶦbah direction and make gestures using his hands, head, and eyes referring to bowing down (Rukuᶦ) and prostration (Sujuud). For voluntary prayer, it is permissible to pray sitting, but Allah decreases its reward.

●Imran ibn Husain (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I asked the Prophet about who prays sitting down. He said, ‘Whoever prays standing up is better, and one who prays sitting down will have half the reward of one who prays standing up. And whoever prays lying down will have half the reward of one who prays sitting down.’” [AL-Bukhari].

2)Intention.

3)Saying “God is the Greatest”, as in case of consecration (Takbeerat AL-Ihraam). 

 When you say it, with your face towards AL-Kaᶦbah direction and raising your palms just in front of your shoulders, you already start prayer.

4)Reciting Chapter of the Opening: (In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God) is a verse of it.

It is seven verses.

●It was narrated from Ibadah ibn AL-Samit that the Prophet said, “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening Chapter (Fatihat AL Kitab).” [The Two Scholars].

●It was narrated from Abi- Hurairah that the Prophet said, “If you recited ‘All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe’, you should recite ‘In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God.’ It is the epitome or basis of the Qurᶦan, and epitome or basis of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated verses.”

5)Bowing down. 

6)Rising from bowing down. 

7)Standing up straight.

8)Prostration.

9)Rising from prostration. 

10)Sitting between the two prostrations. 

11)The last sitting, including testification and saying prayers for the Prophet in the last testification.

12)The first prayer-end greeting.

13)Performing pillars in the previously mentioned order.

14)Feeling at ease in bowing down, in the two prostrations, and in the sitting between them.

●Abu-Hurairah reported: “Allah’s Apostle entered the mosque and a person followed him. The man prayed and went to the Prophet and greeted him. The Prophet returned the greeting and said to him, ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.’ The man went back and prayed in the same way as before, returned and greeted the Prophet who said, ‘Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.’ This happened thrice. 
The man said, ‘By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I cannot offer the prayer in a better way than this. Please, teach me how to pray.’ 
The Prophet said, ‘When you stand for prayer say AL-Takbeer (God is the Greatest) and then recite from the Holy Qurᶦan (of what you know by heart) and then bow till you feel at ease. Then raise your head and stand up straight, then prostrate till you feel at ease during your prostration, then sit with calmness till you feel at ease (do not hurry) and do the same in all your prayers.’” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

Note: The previous tradition is called “The tradition of the man who performed his prayer badly”.

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The Sunnah Practices of Prayer (Sunan AL-Salah)

a) Before beginning of prayer:

1) Call to prayer (Adhan).            
2) Second call to prayer (Iqamah).

And both of them are for obligatory prayer only.

In the call to morning prayer, the caller says, “Prayer is better than sleep.” twice.

The caller to prayer must be a rational male Muslim.

●It was narrated from Malik ibn AL-Huwairith that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “When the time for prayer comes, one of you should pronounce the call for it, and the oldest of you  should lead the prayer.” [The Two Scholars].

●Anas reported: “Bilal was commanded to say the phrases of the call to pray twice and the phrases of the second call once.” [AL-Bukhari].

b) After prayer entering:

1) The first testification (Tashahhud) after two prayer units.

2) Humility invocation (Qunut):

a) In morning prayer, after bowing down in the second prayer unit.

b) In separate prayer (Salat AL-Witr) in the second half of Ramadan.

●Malik ibn AL-Huwayrith reported: We came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being young men of a similar age. We spent twenty nights with him. 
He thought that we desired our own people and he asked us about those of our family we had left behind, and we told him. 
He was merciful and kind, and said,“Go back to your family. Instruct and command them. Pray as you have seen me praying. When it is time for the prayer, then let one of you pronounce its call and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

*An Educational Mission.

The Prophet was the first to apply the educational missions approach. If a tribe converted to Islam, they would send a delegation to AL-Madinah to experience Muslims’ life with the Prophet and his companions. 
Then the members of the delegation return to their home to disseminate what they have learnt, according to God’s saying ﴾And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group[remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious﴿ Chapter of Repentance. Verse NO 122

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Non-Emphasized Sunnah Practices of Prayer

❶Raising palms in saying “God is the Greatest” as in case of consecration.

●It was narrated from Salim, from his father, that: The Messenger of Allah used to raise his hands until they were in level with his shoulders when he started to pray, when he 
said “God is the Greatest” for bowing, and when he raised his head from bowing. And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostration.  [AL-Bukhari].

❷Saying “I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, as a monotheist, and I am not of the polytheists.” after saying “God is the Greatest.”

❸Putting the right hand on the left hand under the chest.

❹Seeking refuge, then (Basmallah) which means saying “In the name of Beneficent, Merciful God” in reading Chapter of the Opening.

❺Saying “Ameen” in the end of the Opening Chapter.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Apostle (P.P.B.U.H) said: “When the reciter (AL-Imam) says ‘Ameen’, say ‘Ameen’, for if a person’s Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [The Two Scholars].

❻Reciting a Chapter or verses after reciting the Opening Chapter according to a person’s ability.

Imam Shafii allowed reading from Qurᶦan (i.e. putting it in front of the praying person), but Abu-Hanifah objected to that. Ibn Hanbal allowed it in voluntary prayer only.

❼Loudness in the first two prayer units of sunset and night prayers, and in the two prayer units of morning, Friday, and the Two Festivals prayers.

❽Saying “God is the Greatest” between acts of prayer.

❾Glorification of Allah in bowing down and prostration.

❿Saying “Allah hears the one who praises Him.” after raising from bowing down.

●It was narrated from Ibn ᶦAbbas that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “I have been forbidden to recite the Qurᶦan in the state of bowing and prostration. As for bowing down, honor the Lord in it, and as for prostration, do your best in invocation, that is worthy of being accepted.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is in prostration. So increase invocation in prostrations.” [Muslim].

True Prostration:

Make your hands away from your face, and raise your elbows above the earth. As for a woman, she makes her body parts near each other.

●Maimunah bint AL-Harith, the mother of believers, reported: When the Messenger of Allah prostrated, he kept his hands so much apart from each other that when it was seen from behind, the armpits became visible.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Be moderate in prostration and do not rest your forearms along the ground like a dog.” [AL-Bukhari]. 

●Ibn Abbas reported from the Apostle of Allah: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: forehead, and then pointed with his hands towards his nose, hands, knees, and the extremities of the feet. And we were forbidden to fold back clothing and hair.” [The Two Scholars].

●Rifaa ibn Rafi (May God be pleased with him) reported: “One day we were praying 
behind the Messenger of Allah, when the Messenger of Allah raised his head from 
bowing down and said, ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him (Samiᶦ Allahu Liman hamidah).’ 
A man behind him said, ‘Our Lord, praise belongs to You- blessed, pure and abundant  praise (Rabbana wa laka AL-Hamd, Hamdan Kathiran Tayiban  Mubarakan fihi).’ When the Messenger of Allah had finished, he said, ‘Who was it who spoke just now?’ The 
man said, ‘I did, Messenger of Allah.’ And the Messenger of Allah said, ‘I saw more 
than  thirty angels rushing to it to see which one of them would record it first.’” 
[AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

⓫Putting hands on knees in the sitting for testification.          

 ۞Stretch the left hand.
 ۞Do not extend the right hand.
۞ Raise the right index finger.

●Ibn ᶦUmar reported: When the Messenger of Allah sat for testification, he placed his left hand on his left knee, his right hand on his right knee, and raised his right finger which    was next to his thumb, making invocation in this way, and he stretched his left hand on    his left knee. [Muslim].

⓬The second prayer-end greeting.

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 Humility (Qunut) in Morning Prayer

Imam Shafii allowed it, but Abu-Hanifah did not approve it. Ibn Hanbal sees that AL-   Qunut is a Sunnah which is performed in serious events or wars by humility to Allah and invocation against an enemy, as the Prophet has done.

I testify that our chief (Sayedona) Muhammad……

Scholars have disliked saying “I testify that our chief Muhammad….” in testification, according to the Prophet’s saying “Do not make me your chief in prayer.” and his 
saying in his traditions: “And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle.” 
And his saying “Say: ‘O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family.’”

On the other hand, Imam Shafii considered the tradition “Do not make me your chief in prayer.” a weak tradition, therefore he allowed to say “Our chief Muhammad.”
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Invalidators of Prayer

1) Change of intention: When a praying person decides, during the prayer, to change the type of the prayer, (for example: changing it from an obligatory prayer to a voluntary   prayer), or the number of prayer units.

2) When AL Kaᶦbah direction (AL-Qiblah) is at the back of the praying person.

3) When private parts are uncovered.     

4) Invalidation of ablution.

5) When there is an apparent uncleanness on the praying person or on his clothes.

6) Sudden menses or confinement.

7) A lot of action during prayer. For example: walking three steps in any direction, or when his movements are more than three in one prayer unit.

8) Eating, drinking, laughing in prayer, or saying words other than those of prayer.

*Abu-Hanifah sees that giggling in prayer invalidates prayer and ablution also.

*In all cases mentioned previously, a praying person has to give salutation and end his 

prayer.