The Book of Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)

Muhammad ibn Mansur informed us; he said: Sufyan narrated to us; he said: al-Zuhri narrated to us, from Sa‘id, from Abu Hurayrah, who attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “When Friday comes, angels are at every door of the mosque, recording people in order of their rank, the first and then the next. When the imam comes out, the scrolls are rolled up, and they listen to the sermon. The one who comes early to prayer is like one who offers a camel; the one who comes after him is like one who offers a cow; the one after him is like one who offers a ram”—until he mentioned a chicken and an egg.

Al-Rabi‘ ibn Sulayman informed us; he said: Shu‘ayb ibn al-Layth narrated to us; he said: al-Layth informed us, from Ibn ‘Ajlan, from Sumayy, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “On Friday, the angels sit at the doors of the mosque, recording people according to their rank. The people who come are like one who offers a camel, one who offers a cow, one who offers a sheep, one who offers a chicken, one who offers a sparrow, and one who offers an egg.”

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Sumayy, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever bathes on Friday with a bath like that after major ritual impurity, then goes early, is like one who offers a camel. Whoever goes in the second period is like one who offers a cow; whoever goes in the third period is like one who offers a ram; whoever goes in the fourth period is like one who offers a chicken; and whoever goes in the fifth period is like one who offers an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come and listen to the sermon.”

‘Amr ibn Sawwad ibn al-Aswad ibn ‘Amr and al-Harith ibn Miskin informed us—the text was read to him while I listened; the wording is his—from Ibn Wahb, from ‘Amr ibn al-Harith, from al-Jullah, the freedman of ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, that Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman told him, from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Friday has twelve hours. There is no Muslim servant who asks Allah for something during it without Him granting it to him. So seek it in the last hour after the afternoon prayer.”

Harun ibn ‘Abdullah informed me; he said: Yahya ibn Adam narrated to me; he said: Hasan ibn ‘Ayyash narrated to us; he said: Ja‘far ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from his father, from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, who said: We would pray the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then return and let our water-drawing camels rest. I asked, “At what time?” He said, “When the sun had passed its zenith.”

Shu‘ayb ibn Yusuf informed us; he said: ‘Abd al-Rahman informed us, from Ya‘la ibn al-Harith, who said: I heard Iyas ibn Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ relate from his father, who said: We would pray the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then return while the walls had no shadow in which one could seek shade.

Muhammad ibn Salamah informed us; he said: Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, who said: al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid informed me that the call to prayer used to be given when the imam sat on the pulpit on Friday, in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar. When it was ‘Uthman’s caliphate and the people had increased, ‘Uthman ordered a third call to prayer on Friday. It was given at al-Zawra’, and the practice continued that way.

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn ‘Abdullah informed us; he said: Ya‘qub narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, that al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid informed him, saying: ‘Uthman only ordered the third call to prayer when the people of Madinah had increased. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had only one caller to prayer, and the Friday call was given when the imam sat down.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la informed us; he said: al-Mu‘tamir narrated to us, from his father, from al-Zuhri, from al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid, who said: Bilal would give the call to prayer when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the pulpit on Friday. When he descended, the call to commence prayer was given. It continued that way during the time of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la informed us; he said: Khalid narrated to us; he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from ‘Amr ibn Dinar, who said: I heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you arrives after the imam has come out, let him pray two rak‘ahs.” Shu‘bah said: This was on Friday.

‘Amr ibn Sawwad ibn al-Aswad informed us; he said: Ibn Wahb informed us; he said: Ibn Jurayj informed us that Abu al-Zubayr told him that he heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah say: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) preached, he would lean against a palm trunk among the mosque’s pillars. When the pulpit was made and he stood upon it, that pillar shook like a she-camel moaning, until the people in the mosque heard it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) descended to it and embraced it, and it became quiet.

Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Hakam informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us; he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from Mansur, from ‘Amr ibn Murrah, from Abu ‘Ubaydah, from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah, who said: He entered the mosque while ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Umm al-Hakam was delivering the sermon seated. He said: “Look at this man, delivering the sermon seated, when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has said: ‘When they see a trade or amusement, they disperse toward it and leave you standing.’”

Mahmud ibn Khalid informed us; he said: ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid narrated to me; he said: I heard Yahya ibn al-Harith relate from Abu al-Ash‘ath al-San‘ani, from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Whoever washes and bathes, arrives early, sets out early, comes close to the imam, listens attentively, and then does not engage in idle talk will have, for every step, a reward like that of a year’s fasting and night prayer.”

Wahb ibn Bayan informed us; he said: Ibn Wahb informed us; he said: I heard Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih narrate, from Abu al-Zahiriyyah, from ‘Abdullah ibn Busr, who said: I was sitting beside him on Friday when he said: A man came, stepping over people’s necks. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Yes, sit down; you have caused harm.”

Ibrahim ibn al-Hasan and Yusuf ibn Sa‘id informed us—the wording is his. They said: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: ‘Amr ibn Dinar informed me that he heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah say: A man came while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on the pulpit on Friday. He said to him, “Have you prayed two rak‘ahs?” He said, “No.” He said, “Then pray them.”

Qutaybah narrated to us; he said: al-Layth narrated to us, from ‘Uqayl, from al-Zuhri, from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Whoever says to his companion on Friday, while the imam is preaching, ‘Be quiet,’ has engaged in idle talk.”

‘Abd al-Malik ibn Shu‘ayb ibn al-Layth ibn Sa‘d informed us; he said: My father narrated to me, from my grandfather; he said: ‘Uqayl narrated to me, from Ibn Shihab, from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, from ‘Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn Qariz, and from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab. Both of them told him that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “When you say to your companion, ‘Be quiet,’ on Friday while the imam is preaching, you have engaged in idle talk.”

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us; he said: Jarir informed us, from Mansur, from Abu Ma‘shar Ziyad ibn Kulayb, from Ibrahim, from ‘Alqamah, from al-Qartha‘ al-Dabbi—one of the early Quran reciters—from Salman, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “There is no man who purifies himself on Friday as he has been commanded, then leaves his house and comes to Friday prayer, listening attentively until he completes his prayer, except that it is an expiation for what has occurred since the preceding Friday.”

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us; they said: Muhammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us; he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us; he said: I heard Abu Ishaq relate from Abu ‘Ubaydah, from ‘Abdullah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “He taught us the sermon for a need: ‘Praise be to Allah. We seek His help and His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whoever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.’ Then he would recite three verses: ‘O you who believe, be mindful of Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.’ ‘O mankind, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul and created from it its mate and spread from the two of them many men and women. Be mindful of Allah, in whose name you appeal to one another, and honor family ties. Surely Allah is ever watchful over you.’ ‘O you who believe, be mindful of Allah and speak upright words.’” Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman said: Abu ‘Ubaydah heard nothing from his father; neither did ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, nor ‘Abd al-Jabbar ibn Wa’il ibn Hujr.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us; he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us, from al-Hakam, from Nafi‘, from Ibn ‘Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon and said: “When one of you goes to Friday prayer, let him bathe.”