What Are The Recommended Acts For The Day of Jummah?

Jummah is the most important day of the week for a Muslim. Jummah literally translates to ‘the day of the congregation’. The majority of what we know about the blessedness and importance of jummah is from the Holy Qur’an which has a chapter named after it, chapter 62 of the Qur’an.

surah Jummah emphasises the importance of the day

Surah Jummah is a medinan Surah that takes its title from the instruction to the believers to observe the Friday prayer promptly when called:

Believers! When the call to prayer is made on the day of congregation (jumu’ah), hurry towards the reminder of God and leave off your trading – that is better for you, if you only knew – then when the prayer has ended, disperse in the land and seek our God’ bounty. Remember God often so that you may propser.”

(62: 9-11)

Overall, the Surah reminds Muslims of God’s grace in granting them a prophet and the chance to grow spiritually and criticises those people who do not act according to the knowledge they are given.

Merits of the day of jummah

The fact there is a chapter named after jummah is sufficient evidence of the importance of the day. Nevertheless, let’s look at what the Holy Prophet had to say about this day.

The Best Day of the Week

In the book of Tirmidhi, The Prophet of Allah (SWT) is reported to have 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. ”

Dying On Jummah Provides Protection From the Trials of the Grave

Jummah is so blessed that should a Muslim die during the day, they will be protected from the punishment of the grave.

The Messenger of Allah said: “No Muslim dies on the day of Friday, nor the night of Friday, except that Allah protects him from the trials of the grave.” (Tirmidhi).

Angels Attend Jummah Sermons

The Prophet said: “On every Friday the angels take their stand at every gate of the mosque to write the names of the people chronologically (ie according to the time of their arrival for the Friday prayer) and when the Imam sits ( on the pulpit) they fold up their scrolls and get ready to listen to the sermon.” (Bukhari).

10 recommended acts specifically for jummah

Attending the Friday Prayer

No surprises here! Taking a break from work, school and any other worldly activity to attend the Friday sermon is the best way to mark the day. It’s not enough to just attend. We must sit in silence and actively listen to the sermon. If we manage this, our sins are forgiven. The Messenger said:

If anyone performs ablution, doing it well, then come to the Friday prayer, listens and keeps silence, his sins between that time and the next Friday will be forgiven.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud)

Those who speak amongst themselves whilst the Imam is delivering his sermon are gravely condemned.  Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying:

If anyone speaks on Friday while the imam is preaching, he is like an ass (donkey) which carries books.

(Mishkat al-Masabih)

The analogy of a donkey carrying books is given here because it carries this knowledge without benefiting from it. In the same way, merely being at the mosque for the sermon yet talking through it will lead to no benefit at all.

If we are healthy and able to, and if it’s safe to, we should attend jummah every week. Not attending three jummah’s in a row due to laziness results in hardness of the heart. In this regard, our Prophet has said:

He who leaves the Friday prayer (continuously) for three Friday on account of slackness, Allah will print a stamp on his heart.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud)

Recite Surah Kahf

Most of us will already know the recitation of Surah Kahf (chapter 18) is highly recommended on the day of jummah. Reciting this Surah on the blessed day of Jummah can take us out of darkness and enlighten our hearts with iman. The Prophet is reported to have said:

If anyone recites Surah Kahf  on Friday, light will shine brightly for him till the next Friday.”

(Mishkat al-Masabih)

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Ritual Bath (Ghusl)

The performance of the ritual bath on the day of jummah will help shed our sins. The Friday ghusl is so highly emphasised that certain jurists such as Grand Ayatullah Sayed Sistani of the Shia Muslim world say it is sufficient to pray with the Friday ghusl provided we don’t do anything to break it (which are the same the things that would break our wudhu).

Sunni hadith books also highly advise on taking ghusl. The Prophet has said the following, recorded in Sahih Bukhari:

Anyone of you attending the Friday (prayers) should take a bath.”

Fasting

Fasting is, of course, recommended on any day of the year (except for Eid al-Fitr). The companion Abdullah ibn Masud says:

I rarely saw the Messenger of Allah not fasting on a Friday.”

(Sunan ibn Majah)

Supplicating to God

A very famous hadith from Sahih Bukhari records the Messenger of God talking about a very special yet small portion of the day of Jummah, where Allah (SWT) will guarantee an answer to our dua:

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 out the shortness of that time with his hands.”

A hadith in Tirmidhi suggests this period could be between asr and maghrib prayers.

Seek out the hour that is hoped for on Friday after Asr until the sun has set.”

Send Blessings On The Prophet

In Sunan Abi Dawud, the Prophet says:

So send a lot of blessings upon me (on Friday), for your blessings will be shown to me.”

Shia Muslims extend this blessing to include the Prophet’s family.

Give Charity

It’s an essential practice of our religion to regularly donate and give money to the needy as it has so many rewards, giving charity on the day of jummah is greater than any other day!

Recite Surah Hud

The hadith that recommends reciting Surah Hud on Fridays is mursal (meaning one of the names of the narrator in the chain is missing). Here’s the hadith anyway, found in Mishkat al-Masabih:

Ka‘b reported God’s messenger as saying, “Recite Surah Hud on Fridays.”

It goes without saying, there can never be a bad time to recite the Holy Book. Therefore the hadith being mursal is inconsequential in this case.

Recite Surah ale Imran

In the same book (Mishkat al-Masabih) it is also recommended to recite Surah ale Imran.

Taking a Nap

Yes, you read that right! There are two ahadith, both in Sahih Bukhari, both reported by Anas who says they would nap after the jummah prayers. A similar narration comes to us in Sunan Abu Dawud from Sahl bin Sa’d.

No harm in trying, right?!

General recommended acts

There are many other etiquettes mentioned for a believer to observe at any time, so they’re not specifically for jummah but doing them on jummah is obviously a good habit to get into:

• Be hygienic: cut nails and hair under the armpit
• Clean your teeth
• Wear new or clean clothes
• Wear perfume
• Walk to the mosque

Let’s try and reap the benefits of jummah by adopting as many of the recommended acts as possible!