(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 shortening and combination

TRAVELLER’S PRAYER SHORTENING

Prayer shortening has been legislated in the fourth Islamic Year. 
It is a new addition to facilitation of Islam in acts of worship. Abu-Hanifah sees it is an emphasized Sunnah, and AL Shafii sees that it is better for those who have travelled more than three days. 
It is permissible to, indeed duty on, the traveller to shorten four unit-prayers (noon, afternoon, and night prayers) to two prayer units.

God says ﴾And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer﴿Chapter of Women.

●ᶦAᶦishah reported: Allah enjoined the prayer when He enjoined it, it was two units only (in every prayer) both when in residence or on journey. Then, the prayers offered on journey remained the same, but (the units of) the prayers for non-travellers were increased. [AL Bukhari].

●ᶦUmar ibn AL-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said: “It is an act of charity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so accept charity.” [Muslim].

●Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet resided in Makkah and its surroundings for ten  days, and he shortened his prayers in all these days.

Conditions of prayer shortening:

1) Travel is not for disobedience. NO prayer shortening for the one who has travelled to kill, rub others, or to participate in amusement events.

2) Travel distance must be 81 km according to Abu-Hanifah School, or 89 km according to Imam Shafii School.

3) Travel direction must be specified. But the one, who is wandering aimlessly, does not shorten his prayer.

Prayer shortening provisions:

❶If a Muslim travelled, and when he arrived he decided to reside there, he would not be allowed to shorten his prayer.

❷If his residence period in the country (to which he had travelled) exceeded fifteen days, he would not shorten his prayer (according to Abu- Hanifah School). According to Malik School, if he intended to stay four days in the country to which he had travelled (the day of entering this country is not included in them), he would be considered a resident there and would not shorten his prayer.

❸If he missed a prayer in his country, he would not shorten it, but he would perform it in full.

❹If he prayed, during his travel, behind a resident leader (Imam), he would do it in full.

❺A Muslim is considered a traveller as soon as he passes the end of his country borders or the gateway, and his travel ends as soon as he enters his country borders.

❻If a sailor travelled in a ship with his family and money in it, he would be allowed to shorten his prayer (according to Imam Shafii, Malik, and Abu-Hanifah Schools). But  Ahmad ibn Hanbal sees that this sailor is not allowed to shorten his prayer.

❼If he travelled to fulfill a need and could not determine time period required for it, he would be allowed to shorten his prayer (according to Imam Malik School).

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COMBINATION of TWO PRAYERS

Its legitimacy: 

It has been legislated in Tabuk Holy Battle, in the ninth year of Hijrah. Allah commanded it to relieve His servants.

Causes of prayers combination in the four schools:

[1] Shafii: He has allowed combination of two prayers when conditions of prayer shortening are met.  It will be advanced combination only.

[2] Imam Malik: He has allowed combination of two prayers in case of road travel for any distance, even if a person is not travelling to perform pilgrimage. For example: Severe illness, rain and mud, and presence of a pilgrim at Arafat or Muzdalifah.

[3] Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal: He allowed combination in case of travelling to perform pilgrimage, provided that the distance travelled is equal to that required to shorten prayer. And in case of severe illness, blindness, extreme cold, and wild wind.

[4] Abu-Hanifah: He allowed combination to a pilgrim only at Arafat (advanced combination), and at Muzdalifah (delayed combination), on the basis of the following tradition:

●Abdullah ibn Masᶦud reported: By Him besides Whom there is no god but He, the Apostle of Allah has never performed a prayer out of its proper time, except two prayers: he combined noon and afternoon prayers at Arafat (advanced combination), and combined  sunset and night prayers (delayed combination) at Muzdalifah. 

[AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

Types of prayers combination

A traveller can both shorten and combine two prayers (noon and afternoon prayers), (sunset and night prayers).

Note: No amendment in this, i.e., you cannot combine noon and sunset prayers, afternoon and night prayers, etc.

۞You perform the noon prayer on time and follow it with the afternoon prayer (advanced combination), or you perform the noon prayer after the call to the afternoon prayer and follow it with performing the afternoon prayer (delayed combination). This occurs 

according to your travel conditions.

۞Also you can combine sunset and night prayers before or after the call to the night prayer.

Prayer combination provisions

1) In travel, you are not obliged to perform Friday prayer; instead, you perform noon  prayer.

2) Prayer combination conditions: are the same as those of prayer shortening, in addition  to:

a)) Performing the two prayers in order.       

b)) There is no long separation between the two prayers.

3) The intention text will be, for example, “I have intended to pray the two prayer units of the obligatory noon prayer combined and shortened.”

4) It is permissible to the resident to combine two prayers (advanced combination only),  and that occurs in case of heavy rain.

●Ibn ᶦAbbas reported: The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) performed the noon and afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and the night prayers together without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey. [Muslim].

●Ibn ᶦUmar reported: I saw Allah’s Apostle, whenever he was in a hurry during the journey, delaying the sunset prayer, performing it in three prayer units, and performing prayer end greeting. After waiting for a short while, he would pronounce the second call (AL-Iqamah) to the night prayer, offer two prayer units, and perform prayer end greeting. 

[AL-Bukhari].