9. JUMU’AH PRAYER (Weekly Friday Routine)
(Replaces Dhuhr on Fridays)
A. Sunnahs Before the Prayer:
1. Ghusl (Ritual Bath), Siwak, Perfume, and Clean Clothes:
Highly emphasized Sunnah.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 880, 883; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 846 & Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 343).
2. Going Early to the Masjid:
Arriving early to sit close to the Minbar.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 881; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 850; Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 345, 351, 1108 & Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Hadith 499).
3. Reciting Surah Al-Kahf:
Authentically narrated that whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday will have a light shining for him between the two Fridays.
(Mustadrak Al-Hakim, 2/368 & Sunan Al-Bayhaqi, 3/249).
4. Abundant Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ:
Multiplying Salawat throughout the day and night of Friday.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1047, 1531 & Sunan An-Nasa’i, Hadith 1374).
B. The Prayer:
1. Tahiyyat al-Masjid:
Pray 2 Rak’ahs upon entering the mosque (even if the Imam is giving the Khutbah).
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 930, 931 & Sahih Muslim, Hadith 875).
2. Listen attentively to the Khutbah:
Talking or fiddling is prohibited.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 934 & Sahih Muslim, Hadith 851, 857).
3. Fard:
Pray 2 Rak’ahs Jumu’ah behind the Imam.
C. Immediately After Jumu’ah Salam:
1. Istighfar (3x) & As-Salam Du’a:
«اَسۡتَغۡفِرُ اللّٰهَ، اَسۡتَغۡفِرُ اللّٰهَ، اَسۡتَغۡفِرُ اللّٰهَ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اَنۡتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنۡكَ السَّلَامُ تَبَارَكۡتَ يَا ذَا الۡجَلَالِ وَالۡاِكۡرَامِ»
“I seek the forgiveness of Allah (3 times). O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honor.”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 591; Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1513 & Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Hadith 300).
2. Declaration of Tawheed & Divine Decree:
«لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحۡدَهٗ لَا شَرِيۡكَ لَهٗ، لَهُ الۡمُلۡكُ وَلَهُ الۡحَمۡدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ، اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا اَعۡطَيۡتَ، وَلَا مُعۡطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعۡتَ، وَلَا يَنۡفَعُ ذَا الۡجَدِّ مِنۡكَ الۡجَدُّ»
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him is all praise, and He is over all things capable. O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and no fortune can benefit the possessor of fortune against You.”
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 844, 6330 & Sahih Muslim, Hadith 593).
3. Post-Prayer Tasbih (100 Praises):
SubhanAllah (33 times):
(“Glory be to Allah”)
سُبۡحَانَ اللّٰهِ
Alhamdulillah (33 times):
(“Praise be to Allah”)
الۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ
Allahu Akbar (33 times):
(“Allah is the Greatest”)
اَللّٰهُ اَكۡبَرُ
Seal with the 100th (1 time):
«لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحۡدَهٗ لَا شَرِيۡكَ لَهٗ، لَهُ الۡمُلۡكُ وَلَهُ الۡحَمۡدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ»
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him is all praise, and He is over all things capable.”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 597).
4. Ayat al-Kursi (1 time):
﴿اَللّٰهُ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ۚ اَلۡحَيُّ الۡقَيُّوۡمُ ۚ لَا تَاۡخُذُهٗ سِنَةٌ وَّلَا نَوۡمٌ ؕ لَهٗ مَا فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِي الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِيۡ يَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَهٗٓ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِهٖ ؕ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ ۚ وَلَا يُحِيۡطُوۡنَ بِشَيۡءٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهٖٓ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ ۚ وَلَا يَـُٔوۡدُهٗ حِفۡظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الۡعَلِيُّ الۡعَظِيۡمُ﴾
“Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
(Sunan An-Nasa’i, Al-Kubra 9928 & Ibn Hibban, Kitab As-Salah).
5. The Three Surahs (1 time each):
Surah Al-Ikhlas (1x):
﴿قُلۡ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ ۚ اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ ۚ لَمۡ يَلِدۡ ۙ وَلَمۡ يُوۡلَدۡ ۙ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ﴾
“Say: He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
Surah Al-Falaq (1x):
﴿قُلۡ اَعُوۡذُ بِرَبِّ الۡفَلَقِ ۙ مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ۙ وَمِنۡ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ اِذَا وَقَبَ ۙ وَمِنۡ شَرِّ النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِي الۡعُقَدِ ۙ وَمِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ اِذَا حَسَدَ﴾
“Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of that which He created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.”
Surah An-Nas (1x):
﴿قُلۡ اَعُوۡذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ۙ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ۙ اِلٰهِ النَّاسِ ۙ مِنۡ شَرِّ الۡوَسۡوَاسِ ۙ الۡخَنَّاسِ ۙ الَّذِيۡ يُوَسۡوِسُ فِيۡ صُدُوۡرِ النَّاسِ ۙ مِنَ الۡجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ﴾
“Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer who whispers into the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1523 & Sunan An-Nasa’i, Hadith 1336).
6. Du’a for Assistance in Worship:
«اَللّٰهُمَّ اَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكۡرِكَ وَشُكۡرِكَ وَحُسۡنِ عِبَادَتِكَ»
“O Allah, help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You in the best manner.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1522 & Sunan An-Nasa’i, Hadith 1303).
D. Sunnah Rawatib After Jumu’ah Flexibility:
Scholars (including Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Imam An-Nawawi) reconcile the Hadiths by establishing:
If you pray the Sunnah in the Mosque: Pray 4 Rak’ahs (2+2).
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 881).
If you pray the Sunnah at Home: Pray 2 Rak’ahs.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 937).
E. The Hour of Acceptance (Sa’at al-Istijabah):
Make abundant du’a during the last hour of Friday (between Asr and Maghrib), as the Prophet ﷺ stated there is an hour on Friday where no Muslim asks Allah for good except that He grants it.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1048; Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 935 & Sahih Muslim, Hadith 852).