The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The prayer a man offers in his house is more excellent than his prayer in this mosque of mine except obligatory prayer.

The Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions used to pray in the direction of Jerusalem. When the following verse was revealed: “ So turn thy face towards the inviolable mosque”; and Ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your face towards it”(ii. 144), a man passed by the people of Banu Salamah. He called them while they were bowing in the morning prayer facing Jerusalem: Lo, the qiblah (direction of prayer) has been changed towards the ka’bah. He called them twice. So they turned their faces towards the Ka’bah while they were bowing.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was expelled (from Paradise), on it his contrition was accepted, on it he died, and on it the Last Hour will take place. On Friday every beast is on the lookout from dawn to sunrise in fear of the Last Hour, but not jinn and men, and it contains a time at which no Muslim prays and asks anything from Allah but He will give it to him. Ka'b said: That is one day every year. So I said: It is on every Friday. Ka'b read the Torah and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has spoken the truth. AbuHurayrah said: I met Abdullah ibn Salam and told him of my meeting with Ka'b. Abdullah ibn Salam said: I know what time it is. AbuHurayrah said: I asked him to tell me about it. Abdullah ibn Salam said: It is at the very end of Friday. I asked: How can it be when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has said: "No Muslim finds it while he is praying...." and this is the moment when no prayer is offered. Abdullah ibn Salam said: Has the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) not said: "If anyone is seated waiting for the prayer, he is engaged in the prayer until he observes it." I said: Yes, it is so.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me. The people asked: Messenger of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed? He replied: Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Friday is divided into twelve hours. Amongst them there is an hour in which a Muslim does not ask Allah for anything but He gives it to him. So seek it in the last hour after the afternoon prayer.

Abu Dawud said: By sitting is meant sitting on the pulpit.

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, with three days extra; but he who touches pebbles has caused an interruption.

Ali said on the pulpit in the mosque of Kufah: When Friday comes, the devils go to the markets with their flags, and involve people in their needs and prevent them from the Friday prayer. The angels come early in the morning, sit at the door of the mosque, and record that so-and-so came at the first hour, and so-and-so came at the second hour until the imam comes out (for preaching).

When a man sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), where he remains silent and does not interrupt, he will receive a double reward. If he stays away, sits in a place where he cannot listen (to the sermon), silent, and does not interrupt, he will receive the reward only once. If he sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), and he does not remain silent, he will have the burden of it. If anyone says to his companion sitting besides him to be silent (while the imam is preaching), he is guilty of idle talk. Anyone who interrupts (during the sermon) will receive nothing (no reward) on that Friday.

Then he (the narrator) says in the end of this tradition: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say so.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Walid b. Muslim from Ibn Jabir. This version adds: bi'l-raba'ith (instead of al-raba'ith, needs preventing the people from prayer). Further, this adds: Freed slave of his wife Umm 'Uthman b. 'Ata.

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

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone omits the Friday prayer without excuse, he must give a dinar in alms, or if he does not have as much, then half a dinar.

Abu Dawud said: Khalid b. Qais reported this tradition in this manner, but he disagreed in respect of chain (of transmitters) and agreed in respect of the text.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone omits the Friday prayer without excuse, he must give one dirham or half a dirham, or one sa' or half a sa' of wheat, in alms.

Abu Dawud said: Sa'id b. Bashir reported this tradition in a like manner, except that he narrated "one mudd or half mudd" (instead of sa'). He narrated it from Samurah.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad bin Hanbal being asked about the differences over the narration of this Hadith. He said: "Hammam has a stronger memory - in my opinion - than Ayyub."

The people used to attend the Friday prayer from their houses and from the suburbs of Medina.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Friday prayer is obligatory on him who hears the call.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by a group of narrators from Sufyan. They did not narrate it as a statement of the Prophet (ﷺ); only Qabisah has transmitted it as saying of the Prophet (ﷺ).

The rain was falling on the day when the Battle of Hunayn took place. The Prophet (ﷺ), therefore, commanded that the people should offer their prayer in their camps.

That took place on a Friday.

Usamah attended the Prophet (ﷺ) on the occasion of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah on Friday. The rain fell as little as the soles of the shoes of the people were not set. He (the Prophet) commanded them to offer Friday prayer in their dwellings.

Ibn ‘Umar stayed at Dajnan (a place between Mecca and Medina) on a cold night. He commanded an announcer (to announce). He announced that the people should offer prayer in their dwellings. Ayyub said: Nafi narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that whenever there was a cold or a rainy day night, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded the announcer (to announce). He announced to offer prayer in the dwellings.

Nafi' reported: Ibn Umar made the call to prayer at Dajnan (a place between Mecca and Medina). Then he announced: "Offer prayer in your dwellings:" He then narrated a tradition from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He used to command an announcer who made the call to prayer. He then announced: "Pray in your dwellings" on a cold or rainy night during journey.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammad b. Salamah from Ayyub and 'Ubaid Allah. In his version he added: During journey on a cold or a rainy night.

Nafi' said: Ibn Umar made the call to prayer at Dajnan (a place between Mecca and Medina), on a cold and windy night. He added the words at the end of the call: "Lo! pray in your dwellings. Lo! pray in the dwellings." He then said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to command the mu'adhdhin to announce, "Lo! pray in your dwellings." on a cold or rainy night during journey.

Ibn ‘Umar made the call to prayer on a cold and windy night. He then said: “Lo! Pray in the dwellings. “Afterwards he said: Whenever there was a cold or rainy day night, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to command the mu’adhdin to announce: “Lo! Pray in the dwellings.”