The Sunnats of Friday.

6th April 2007

 Allah (swt) says in Qur’an:
“Oh you who believe, When the call is proclaimed for the Jumma Salaat then come to the remembrance of Allah, (Jumma Khutbah and Salaat) And leave your businesses and this is better for you if you know.”(Surah Al-Jumu,ah 9)

 Salman al Farsi (RA) narrates that Rasulullah (saw) said:
“Whosoever takes a bath on Friday and he cleanses himself to the best of his ability and he puts on the fragrance that is available at his home and thereafter leaves for the Musjid by taking precaution that he does not cause any separation between those two that were seated there before him, he performs whatever salaat has been written for him from the Sunan and Nawaafil and when the Imam ascends the pulpit to do the Khutbah he remains silent and listens to the Khutbah attentively then almighty Allah declares forgiveness for all the sins committed by that person between this Jumma and the previous Jumma.” (Bukhari,Muslim,Abu Dawood,Musnad Ahmad,Muatta Imam Malik)

 Ibn Umar (RA) reported that I heard Rasulullah (saw) saying:
“When any one of you upon entering the Musjid finds that the Imam is on the Pulpit Conducting the Khutbah then he should neither perform Salaat or speak until the Imam has completed his Salaat.”(Tabraani Kabeer, Majmauz Zawaaid)

Umar bin Khattab (RA) has mentioned that the Khutbah of Jumma is in place of two rakaats of Salaat. (Musannaf ibn abi Shaybah)

Imam Ibn Shihaab Zuhri has narrated the fatwa of Saeed bin Al Musayyab (one of the greatest tabieen) that the standing of the Imam for the Khutbah is the terminating point for all Salaat and speech.(Musannaf bin Abi Shaybah)

Abdullah bin Abbas and Abu Huraira (RA) have narrated that the Prophet (saw) use to perform four rakaats before the Jumma Salaat and four rakaats after the Jumma Salaat. (Tabraani Kabeer,Majmauz Zawaaid,Kanzul Ummal)

Abu Huraira (RA) reported that Rasulullah (saw) has said: “When any one of you performs Jumma Salaat then he should perform four rakaats after the Jumma Salaat. (Sahih Muslim)

Imam Abu Dawood (RA) has also reported that the Prophet (saw) use to perform another two rakaats after the four rakaats, therefore Ali (RA) has mentioned that when any one of you performs the Jumma Salaat then he should perform another six rakaats thereafter. (Tahaawee)

In light of the above ahaadeeth one can deduce that the total rakaats of salaat performed by the Prophet (saw) were four rakaats before Jumma Salaat and six rakaats after the Jumma Salaat and this has also been the practice of the Salaf us Saliheen (Pious Predecessors). It has been narrated by Imam Tirmidhi (RA) and Imam Tahaawi (RA) that this was the practice of Abdullah bin Masood and Abdullah bin Umar (RA). In Musannaf bin Abi Shaybah it has been reported that this was the practice of Abu Musa Asharee (RA) and many other Sahaaba (RA) and the Tabieen.

Unfortunately in our times people shouting slogans of Salaf us Saliheen do not consider it a virtue to perform the Sunan and Nawaafil except a few, instead of inculcating the habit of practicing the Sunnah they are causing the people to desincline from the Sunnah and giving it insignificance. You will not find them performing the Sunan Salaat after the Fardh Salaat. You will find that instead of performing twenty rakaats of Salaat they will suffice on performing eight rakaats, they will insist on performing one rakaat of witr, if the Imam has mistakenly performed the Salaat without wudhu then they do not consider it necessary to repeat the Salaat and if Jumma and Eid has to be on one day then they do not consider the performing of Jumma on that day as necessary and will leave the Jumma Salaat without any hesitation wheras it has been narrated by Numan bin Basheer (RA) that the Prophet (saw) would recite Sura Aala and Sura Al Ghashiya in Jumma Salaat and at times if Eid and Jumma were on the same day then too the Prophet (SAW) would still pray Sura A’ala and Sura Al Ghashiya.(Tirmidhi) This has also been the practice in the noble era of the Khulafa ur Raashideen. (Bukhaari,Muatta)
Al-Kauthar



Mufti Yusuf Danka (CMIC)