Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said "We are the last (to come amongst the nations) but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection. They were given the Holy Scripture before us and we were given the Quran after them. And this was the day (Friday) about which they differed and Allah gave us the guidance (for that). So tomorrow (i.e. Saturday) is the Jews' (day), and the day after tomorrow (i.e. Sunday) is the Christians'." The Prophet (p.b.u.h) remained silent (for a while) and then said, "It is obligatory for every Muslim that he should take a bath once in seven days, when he should wash his head and body."
Commentary on the Excellence of Friday
This noble hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (896, 897) establishes the superiority of the Muslim Ummah despite its late emergence. Though we are the final nation chronologically, Allah has honored us to be foremost in spiritual rank on Judgment Day through our adherence to pure monotheism.
The previous nations received their scriptures before us, yet they fell into disagreement about the designated day of worship. The Jews chose Saturday, the Christians Sunday, while Allah guided Muslims to Friday - making it our Eid day each week.
The Obligatory Weekly Purification
The Prophet's pause before mentioning the bath indicates a separate ruling. Scholars differ whether this refers specifically to the Friday bath (ghusl) or a general weekly purification. The stronger opinion is that it emphasizes the importance of ritual purity for Friday prayer.
This bathing involves washing the entire body, with special attention to the head, ensuring both physical cleanliness and spiritual preparation for the congregational prayer. It exemplifies Islam's balance between outward purity and inward devotion.
Juridical Rulings Derived
The majority of scholars consider the Friday bath highly recommended (sunnah mu'akkadah), not obligatory. However, some early scholars like Ibn 'Umar considered it wajib based on this hadith's wording.
The wisdom behind this ruling includes: honoring the congregational prayer, removing offensive odors that may disturb worshippers, and following the Prophetic example in both spiritual and mundane matters.