Allah, the Exalted has preferred and elevated some hours, days, nights and months to others in excellence. Every period of time has a specific virtue and a certain types of worship. Such superiority is a special type mercy and favor from Allah (SWT) upon His slaves. The successful among them take benefits of those precious moments by knowing their excellence and virtues and engage themselves in worship devotedly before their Creator. As a result, they will receive endless mercy, favors and rewards from Him, erase their sins through such opportunities and rescue themselves from the punishment and torment of the Hell-fire.
Among the many precious days, is the day of Jummah (Friday). It is one of the best of all the seven days of the week. It has many religious significance and virtues. A complete Surah in the Holy Quran named after this day. It is a day, in which there is a special kind of prayer. This prayer is named “the Jummah prayer” or “Friday prayer”. The Muslims gather on this day in their mosques to pray jummah prayer collectively in congregation. Before prayer the orator delivers a speech, which is called “Friday sermon” or “Khutbah”. In this sermon, he admonishes people and gives lessons about religious matters and affairs.
There are many virtues and excellence of this day and among those are the following:
- It is a Festival Day, which occurs Frequently:
It is a frequent festival day for the Muslims. It occurs every week. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“This day is an Eid (festival) which Allah has ordained for the Muslims. Whoever comes to Friday (prayer), let him take a bath.”(Ib Majah 1098).
It is forbidden to fast on this dayunless one observes fast a day before or after it, because the beloved Prophet (PBUH) said:
“None of you should observe Saum (fast) on Friday unless he observes Saum (fast) a day before or after it.” (Al-Bukhari 1985).
And it is because to oppose the way of Jews and Christians and to strengthen the believers to perform the certain types of worship, such as: Praying, supplicating Allah (SWT) and reciting the Holy Quran in it.
- It is one of the Best of all the Seven Days of the Week:
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day Adam (AS) was created, on this day he was admitted to Paradise, and on this day he was taken out of it.”(Muslim 854).
In some narrations there is more description that Prophet Adam (AS) died on that very day and on that very day the Resurrection will occur. Are these events in any way related to the superiority of the day of Friday or are they just described? The scholar have adopted both views. If these events are related to its superiority, the expulsion of Prophet Adam (AS) becomes its merit because his exit became the cause of prophets and messengers being sent down, and their existence is human superiority. Likewise, the demotion of Adam (AS) and the occurrence of the Hour are causes of meeting with Allah, admission to Paradise, and the achievement of nobleness.
- There is an hour in which the Supplication is Answered:
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“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.” (Muslim 935).
Although this is the preferred opinion, that this moment is after the Asr prayer; both Abdullah bin Salam and Kab Ahbar quoted the same opinion. Yet as the time of the sermon and Friday prayer is a special time of worship and supplication, therefore the supplication should be made in both times, this also proves that making the supplication while the sermon is in progress is not contrary to the silence required for the sermon.
- Doing Good Deeds are preferred in it:
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“There are five (good deeds), whoever performs them in a day, Allah will include him in those who will enter Paradise. Visiting a sick person, attending a funeral, fasting that day, performing the Friday prayer and manumitting a slave.”(As-Silsilah As-Sahihah 1033).
- Sins are Expiated in this Day:
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Whoever takes a bath on a Friday and does it well, and purifies himself and does it well, and puts on his best clothes, and puts on whatever Allah decrees for him of the perfume of his family, then comes to the mosque and does not engage in idle talk or separate (pushing between) two people; he will be forgiven for (his sins) between that day and the previous Friday.” (Ib Majah 1097).
- Those who Walk for Jummah prayer (Friday prayer) will receive Great Rewards:
It is evident from the following Hadith that if a person takes a bath with great care and sets out early for Jummah prayer and he listens to the sermon attentively, this will yield him a great reward and recompense. The reward of each step is equal to the standing in prayer and observing fast for a whole year.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Whoever performs Ghusl (bath) on Friday, and bathes completely, and goes early, arriving early, gets close and listens and is silent, there will be for him in every step he takes the reward of a year of fasting and standing (in prayer).” (At-Tirmidhi 496).
Conclusion
In short, besides the above-mentioned excellence Friday has many other virtues and excellence from which a Muslim should benefit himself.
On such virtuous day many people waste their times aimlessly and prefer to sleep all day or set out for picnic and sightseeing. The women in many societies especially allocated such day for shopping and house work. Such people deprive themselves from the great rewards of this day. We should know the significance of Friday and its value, in order to benefit ourselves from its great rewards, worship our Lord, supplicate Him and send Salat (peace and blessing) upon the beloved Prophet (PBUH).
Since the day of Friday is a superior day good acts performed on this day are superior too. And sending peace and blessing upon the Prophet (PBUH) is the most superior way of getting closer to Allah (SWT); it becomes more meritorious on that day. Hence, sending peace and blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH) is a sort of gift, it is presented to him. What could make one understand its merit?
