Friday Prayer & Its Virtues

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said "We are the last (to come amongst the nations) but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection. They were given the Holy Scripture before us and we were given the Quran after them. And this was the day (Friday) about which they differed and Allah gave us the guidance (for that). So tomorrow (i.e. Saturday) is the Jews' (day), and the day after tomorrow (i.e. Sunday) is the Christians'." The Prophet (ﷺ) remained silent (for a while) and then said, "It is obligatory for every Muslim that he should take a bath once in seven days, when he should wash his head and body."

On a rainy day Ibn `Abbas said to his Mu'adh-dhin, "After saying, 'Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah' (I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)), do not say 'Haiya 'Alas-Salat' (come for the prayer) but say 'Pray in your houses'." (The man did so). But the people disliked it. Ibn `Abbas said, "It was done by one who was much better than I (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ). No doubt, the Jumua prayer is compulsory but I dislike to put you to task by bringing you out walking in mud and slush."

A person entered the mosque while the Prophet (ﷺ) was delivering the Khutba on a Friday. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Have you prayed?" The man replied in the negative. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Get up and pray two rak`at."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (ﷺ) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, "Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (ﷺ) ?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left. It was the day of `Id, and the Black people were playing with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (ﷺ) or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! O Bani Arfida," till I got tired. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me, "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to proceed to the Musalla on the days of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha; the first thing to begin with was the prayer and after that he would stand in front of the people and the people would keep sitting in their rows. Then he would preach to them, advise them and give them orders, (i.e. Khutba). And after that if he wished to send an army for an expedition, he would do so; or if he wanted to give and order, he would do so, and then depart. The people followed this tradition till I went out with Marwan, the Governor of Medina, for the prayer of Id-ul-Adha or Id-ul-Fitr. When we reached the Musalla, there was a pulpit made by Kathir bin As-Salt. Marwan wanted to get up on that pulpit before the prayer. I got hold of his clothes but he pulled them and ascended the pulpit and delivered the Khutba before the prayer. I said to him, "By Allah, you have changed (the Prophet's tradition)." He replied, "O Abu Sa`id! Gone is that which you know." I said, "By Allah! What I know is better than what I do not know." Marwan said, "People do not sit to listen to our Khutba after the prayer, so I delivered the Khutba before the prayer."

A hadith like this has been transmitted by Hisham.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When the Mu'adhdhin calls to prayer, Satan runs back vehemently.

" He (the man saying the prayer) does not know how much he has prayed.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up for prayer, he would say the takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) when standing, then say the takbir when bowing. then say:" Allah listened to him who praised him," when coming to the erect position after bowing, then say while standing:" To You, our Lord, be the praise", then recite the takbir when getting down for prostration, then say the takbir on raising his head, then say the takbir on prostrating himself, then say the takbir on raising his head. He would do that throughout the whole prayer till he would complete it, and he would say the takbir when he would get up at the end of two rak'as after adopting the sitting posture. Abu Huraira said: My prayer has the best resemblance amongst you with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

The Messenger of Allah (may peace beupon him) led us In Zuhr or 'Asr prayer (noon or the afternoon prayer). (On concluding it) he said: Who recited behind me (the verses): Sabbih Isma Rabbik al-a'la (Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High)? There upon a person said: It was I, but I in- tended nothing but goodness. I felt that some one of you was disputing with me in it (or he was taking out from my tongue what I was reciting), said the Prophet (ﷺ).

"Abdullah said: 'No one among you should allow the Shaitan to give him wrong ideas by making him believe that he can only leave after praying by moving to his right, because I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) usually departing to the left.'"

On the Day of Al-Khandaq, after the sun had set, Umar bin Al-Khattab started cursing the disbelievers of the Quraish and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I was hardly able to pray until the sun set." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "By Allah, I did not pray." So we went down with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to Buthan. He performed wudu' for prayer and so did we, and he prayed 'Asr after the sun had set, then he prayed Maghrib after that."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever misses jumu'ah three times with no cogent excuse, Allah (SWT) will place a seal on his heart."

"Jumu'ah prayer is two rak'ahs, the prayer of Al-Fitr is two rak'ahs, the prayer of Al-Adha is two rak'ahs, the prayer when traveling is two rak'ahs, complete and not shortened, on the tongue of Muhammad (ﷺ)."

The Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions used to pray in the direction of Jerusalem. When the following verse was revealed: " So turn your face towards the inviolable mosque" ; and Ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your face towards it" (2:144), a man passed by the people of Banu Salamah. He called them while they were bowing in the morning prayer facing Jerusalem: Lo, the qiblah (direction of prayer) has been changed towards the ka'bah. He called them twice. So they turned their faces towards the Ka'bah while they were bowing.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was expelled (from Paradise), on it his contrition was accepted, on it he died, and on it the Last Hour will take place. On Friday every beast is on the lookout from dawn to sunrise in fear of the Last Hour, but not jinn and men, and it contains a time at which no Muslim prays and asks anything from Allah but He will give it to him. Ka'b said: That is one day every year. So I said: It is on every Friday. Ka'b read the Torah and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has spoken the truth. Abu Hurayrah said: I met Abdullah ibn Salam and told him of my meeting with Ka'b. Abdullah ibn Salam said: I know what time it is. Abu Hurayrah said: I asked him to tell me about it. Abdullah ibn Salam said: It is at the very end of Friday. I asked: How can it be when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has said: "No Muslim finds it while he is praying...." and this is the moment when no prayer is offered. Abdullah ibn Salam said: Has the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) not said: "If anyone is seated waiting for the prayer, he is engaged in the prayer until he observes it." I said: Yes, it is so.

"Abd Allah b. "Umar said to me: Did you hear your father narrating a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about an hour on Friday (when supplication is accepted by Allah)? I said: Yes, I heard it. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: This hour is found during the period when the imam is seated (for giving Friday sermon) until the prayer is finished.

Abu Dawud said: By sitting is meant sitting on the pulpit.

Ibn "Abbas said to his mu'adhdhin on a rainy day: "when you utter the words " I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," do not say," Come to prayer" but say "Pray at your homes," By this (announcement) the people were surprised. He said: One who was better than me has done it. The Friday prayer is an obligatory duty. But I disliked to put you to hardship so that you might walk in mud and rain.

the Prophet said: "The best day that the sun has risen upon is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it he entered Paradise, and on it, he was expelled from it. And the Hour will not be established except on Friday."

"Allah's Messenger said: The best day that the sun has risen upon is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it he entered Paradise, and on it, he was sent down from it. And in it there is an hour in which the Muslim worshipper would not stand in Salat, asking Allah for anything except that He would give it to him.'" Abu Hurairah said: "I met Abdullah bin Salam, and I mentioned this Hadith to him. He said: 'I am more knowledgeable about that hour.' So I said: 'Inform me about it, and do not keep any of it from me.' He said: 'It is after al-Asr until the sun has set.' I said: 'How can it be after Al-Asr when Allah's Messenger said: ' the Muslim worshipper would not stand in Salat.' And that is a time that prayer is not performed in?" So Abdullah bin Salam said: 'Didn't Allah's Messenger say: "Whoever sat in a gathering awaiting the Salat then he is in Salat"? I said: 'Of course.' He said: 'Then that is it.'"

"The Prophet would give a Khutbah on Friday, then sit, then stand and give (another) Khutbah." He said: "Similar to what they do today."

Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever among you is to pray after the Friday prayer, then let him pray four."

I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mention both of his parents for anyone except Sa"d bin Malik (رضي الله عنه). On the day of Uhud he started saying: "Shoot, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you!”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The urine of a nursing boy may be sprinkled with water and the urine of a nursing girl is to be washed.” Qatadah said: This is if the infant is not yet eating solid food; if the infant is eating solid food, it is to be washed in both Cases.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said concerning the nursing infant: "Sprinkle water on the urine of a boy and wash the urine of a girl" Qatadah said: This is so long as they are not eating solid food; if they are eating solid food, both are to be washed.

A man from among Ahlus-Suffah died and it was said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he has left behind a dinar and a dirham. He said: “Two brands. Offer the funeral prayer for your companion."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade (sacrificing) an animal that had lost most of its horn or ear. Qatadah said: I asked Sa"eed bin Al-Musayyab: What does lost most of its ear mean? He said: If it has lost half or more of it.

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah is pleased with His slave who eats a meal and praises Him for it; and takes a drink and praises Him for it".

[Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks of Me when he remembers Me.' By Allah! Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you who unexpectedly finds in the desert his lost camel. 'He who comes closer to Me one span, I come closer to him a cubit; and he who comes closer to Me a cubit, I come closer to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: 'O son of adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of 'Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the height of the heaven, then you ask for my forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of 'Adam, if you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earthload of forgiveness."'

[At- Tirmidhi].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "One who weeps out of fear of Allah, will not enter the Hell till milk returns back in the udder; and the dust raised on account of fighting in the path of Allah and the smoke of Hell will never exist together".

[At- Tirmidhi].