JUMAH - FRIDAY PRAYER

FRIDAY PRAYER

Q.   Is the Jum'ah prayer Fard, Wajib or Masnun?

  Jum'ah prayer is a Fard Salat. There is greater emphasis on it than on the Dhuhr prayer. Dhuhr prayer is not to be offered on Friday. The Jum'ah prayer supercedes the Dhuhr prayer.

Q.   Is the Jum'ah prayer commanded for every Muslim?

  The Jum'ah prayer is commanded for any male person who is free, major, sensible, physically fit and on-station. Thus, it is not obligatory on slaves, minor children, lunatics, the sick, the blind, the disabled and the like nor on women and persons on journey.

Q.   Will Salat of the blind, the disabled, the women and persons on-journey be valid if they join the Jum'ah prayer?

  Yes, their Salat is valid and it will absolve them of the obligation to say the Dhuhr prayer.

Q.   What is the conditions precedent for the Jum'ah prayer to be valid?

  The prerequisites of Jum'ah prayer are as follows:

             i.     One’s being in a town/city. The suburbs of a city used for purposes of graveyard or cantonment also hold the order of the city. Jum'ah prayer in a small village would not be in order;

           ii.     It being the permissible time for Dhuhr;

         iii.     Khutbah (Jum'ah oration) being given before Salat;

          iv.     There being a congregation for prayer;

            v.     There being free and general permission to all (to join the prayers).

Jum'ah prayer will be in order if all this above preconditions are met.

Q.   What is the Masnun way for giving khutbah (Jum'ah oration)?

  The procedure is like this: the Imam sits on the steps of the rostrum and the Mu’azzin calls the Azan. After Azan, the Imam faces the congregation, stands on his feet and gives his oration. On completion of the first part, he sits down for a while. Then again he is up on his legs and gives the second part of the oration. This over, the Imam alights from the steps of the rostrum and stands before the arch. The Mu’azzin then calls the Takbir (formula for Azan with slight modifications) and all the assembly stands up and joins the head in prayer.

Q.   At what place should the Azan for Jum'ah oration be called?

  It should be called in front of the Imam whether it is just at the foot of the Imam whether it is just at the foot of the rostrum or one or two rows behind. It could also be called from a point at the back of the rows in the Masjid or even outside. All these things are permissible.

Q.   How is it to give the Jum'ah oration or recite lines of poetry in it in languages other than Arabic?

  It is undesirable to give the Jum'ah oration in any language other than Arabic, but the obligation to give such an oration is in any case satisfied. It (the act of giving oration in other languages), however, lessens the reward from Al-lah.

Q.   What acts are forbidden to be done during the progress of the Jum'ah oration?

  All acts that divert the attention from the Jum'ah oration are undesirable. These are:

             i.     Talking;

           ii.     Busying oneself in the Nafl or Masnun Salat;

         iii.     Eating;

          iv.     Drinking;

            v.     Answering comments or queries;

          vi.     Reciting the Qur-an.

These acts become undesirable from the moment the Imam sets out to give his oration.

Q.   What do we mean by congregation as a precondition for Jum'ah?

  Presence of three persons besides the Imam is essential for the institution of Jum'ah prayer. The Jum'ah prayer will not be good if fewer than three persons join the congregation.

Q.   What do we mean by there being general permission to one and all as a precondition for the Jum'ah prayer?

  It means that there must be general permission to everyone and anyone to join the Salat. No Jum'ah prayer can be instituted at a place where permission to join the prayer is open to some and denied to some.

Q.   How many Rak'ahs are there in the commanded Jum'ah prayer?

  It contains two Rak'ahs. One has to complete two Rak'ahs no matter whether one joins the prayer from the outset or after the completion of one Rak'ah or even as late as the last sitting.