"I went out to At-Tur and met Ka'b. He and I spent a day together, when I narrated things to him from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he narrated things to me from the Tawrah. I said to him: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, on this day he was sent down, on it his repentance was accepted, on this day he died, and on this day the Hour will begin. There is no living creature on Earth that does not listen out from Friday morning until the sun rises, fearing the onset of the Hour, except the son of Adam. On (Friday) there is an hour in which, if a believer prays and asks Allah for something, He will give it to him. Ka'b said: Is that one day in every year? I said: No, it is every Friday.' Then Ka'b read in the Tawrah and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) spoke the truth; it is every Friday. Then I went out and met Basrah bin Abi Basrah Al-Ghifari. He said: From where have you come? I said: From At-Tur. He said: If I had met you before you went there, you would not have gone. I said to him: Why? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Do not travel especially to visit any masjid except three: Al Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah), my masjid (in Al-Madinah) and the Masjid of Bait Al-Maqdis (in Jerusalem). Then I met 'Abdullah bin Salam and said: 'If you had only seen me, I went to At-Tur and met Ka'b, and he and I spent the day together, when I narrated things to him from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he narrated things to me from the Tawrah. I said to him: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, on this day he was sent down, on this day his repentance was accepted, on this day he died, and on this day the Hour will begin. There is no living creature on Earth that does not listen out from Friday morning until the sun rises, fearing the onset of the Hour, except the son of Adam. On (Friday) there is an hour in which, if a believer prays and asks Allah for something, He will give it to him. Ka'b said: That is one day in every year. 'Abdullah bin Salam said: Ka'b is not telling the truth. I said: Then Ka'b read (in the Tawrah) and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) spoke the truth; it is every Friday. 'Abdullah said: Ka'b spoke the truth; I know when that time is. I said: O my brother, tell me about it. He said: It is the last hour of Friday, before the sun sets. I said: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If a believer prays, but that is not a time for prayer. He said: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whoever prays and sits waiting for the (next) prayer, is in a state of prayer until the next prayer comes? I said: Of course. He said: That is what it is."
The Virtues of Friday (Jumu'ah)
The Prophet (ﷺ) declared Friday the noblest day when the sun rises, marking five momentous events in human history: Adam's creation, descent to Earth, acceptance of repentance, death, and the future commencement of the Hour. This establishes Friday's unique spiritual status in Islamic cosmology.
All creation instinctively fears the Day of Judgment each Friday morning—except heedless humans. This emphasizes humanity's special responsibility to recognize divine signs and prepare for the Hereafter through conscious worship.
The Special Hour of Acceptance
The hadith confirms there exists on Friday an hour when Allah grants believers' supplications. Initially, Ka'b al-Ahbar—a Jewish scholar who converted to Islam—thought this occurred annually, but corrected himself after consulting the Torah, affirming the Prophet's teaching that it happens every Friday.
Abdullah bin Salam, another renowned Jewish scholar who embraced Islam, identified this hour as the final period before sunset. This timing coincides with the recommended remembrance of Allah while awaiting Maghrib prayer, when the believer is considered in a state of continuous worship.
Scholarly Verification of Prophetic Truth
The narrative demonstrates how former People of the Book verified Muhammad's (ﷺ) prophethood through their scriptures. Ka'b's initial misunderstanding and subsequent correction shows both the integrity of Islamic transmission and how divine truths are preserved across revelations.
Abdullah bin Salam's authoritative confirmation illustrates how knowledgeable converts enriched early Islamic scholarship by reconciling previous scriptures with Quranic and Prophetic teachings, strengthening the community's theological foundations.
Restrictions on Sacred Travel
The companion's journey to At-Tur (Mount Sinai) prompted Basrah al-Ghifari to relay the Prophet's prohibition against special travel to mosques except three: Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
This restriction elevates these three mosques' status while discouraging innovations in worship. It preserves the unique sanctity of Islam's primary holy sites and prevents distraction from established acts of devotion.