THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIDAY AND JUMMA PRAYER

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIDAY AND JUMMA PRAYER

Friday is the sixth day in Islamic week. The literal meaning of Friday is congregation. In islam, this day is given the most importance than any other days of the week. Every Friday, Prayer of Jummah is offered and for this prayer special time is taken. Imams of all masjids deliver khutbah on a special topic every Friday.

From various ahadith, it is proven that Prophet Muhammadﷺused to celebrate this day and he declared jummah as weekly eid for muslims. He ﷺ used to wear clean and new (washed) clothes, used to take bath, wear fragrance, wear surmah for this day specially.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺdescribed the virtues of Jummah prayer in the following hadith with these words;

”When the Friday comes, at every door of the Masjid there stands Angels who write down (the names of) those who come First, then who comes next. When the Imam sits down, the records are closed and they come to listen to the reminder , i.e. the Khutba….”  Muslim 1984.

From authentic ahadith, it is taken that Prophet Muhammad ﷺadvised Muslims to recite surah al-Kahf on every Friday to keep safe from the fitnah of dajjal.

While the fast on Jummah is forbidden i.e. the single fast in a week cannot be observed on jummah but it can be observed in pair i.e. with Thursday or with Saturday.

From the history, it is proven that Jummah was most important day for the previous nations as well. It is still considered a blessed day in many religions for example Hinduism. Thus, Friday is considered a special and important day right from the very beginning of humanity.

Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Apostle ﷺsaid, “Any person who takes a bath on Friday like the bath of Janaba and then goes for the prayer (in the first hour i.e. early), it is as if he had sacrificed a camel (in Allah’s cause); and whoever goes in the second hour it is as if he had sacrificed a cow; and whoever goes in the third hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a horned ram; and if one goes in the fourth hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour then it is as if he had offered an egg. When the Imam comes out (i.e. starts delivering the Khutba), the angels present themselves to listen to the Khutba.” Bukhari,2:425, Muslim,2:582 ( Book of Friday Prayer)

Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺhad said, "We (Muslims) came last and yet we are the first on the day of judgment. They have received the books before us (meaning Torah and Injil). We have received the book after them (meaning the Qur’an). Friday was their day to be glorified. However, they disputed on that while Allah had told us Friday is the day to glorify. Thus they will follow us. The Jews glorify Saturday, and the Christians glorify Sunday."

Also reported by Imam Muslim, Abu-Dawood, Al-Nasai, and Al-Tirmizi, that Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺhad said, "The best day during which the sun have risen is Friday. It is the Day Adam was created. It is the day when Adam entered paradise and also when he was taken out from it. It is also the day on which the Day of Judgment takes place."

Rasulallah ﷺis reported to have said, “Recite Durood upon me in abundance on the day of Jummah since they are presented to me.” (Ibn Majah)

The Six Pillars of Iman

                           To have faith in God, in the Hereafter, in angels, in Holy Books, in prophets, in Predestination and Decree. In order for somebody to be a Believer, he needs to have faith in all of these six pillars. A person who has no faith even in one of them cannot be a Believer because the pillars of faith are related with each other.

 1)Belief in God

Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes. In the Quran, God describes Himself:

              Say,

He is God, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like Him (Quran, 112:1-4)

No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone.

God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad , we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her child.1 God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.

God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God.2 Even Jesus himself rejected this. God has said in the Quran:

Indeed, they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever associates partners in worship with God, then God has forbidden Paradise for him, and his home is the Fire (Hell). For the wrongdoers,3 there will be no helpers.” (Quran, 5:72)

God is not a trinity. God has said in the Quran:

“Indeed, they disbelieve who say, “God is the third of three (in a trinity),” when there is no god but one God. If they desist not from what they say, truly, a painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them. Would they not rather repent to God and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a messenger… (Quran, 5:73-75)

Islam rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation, that He wrestled with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter against mankind, or that He is incarnate in any human being. Islam also rejects the attribution of any human form to God. All of these are considered blasphemous. God is the Exalted. He is far removed from every imperfection. He never becomes weary. He does not become drowsy nor does he sleep.

The Arabic word Allah means God (the one and only true God who created the whole universe). This word Allah is a name for God, which is used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians. This word cannot be used to designate anything other than the one true God. The Arabic word Allah occurs in the Quran about 2700 times. In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and the language that Jesus habitually spoke, God is also referred to as Allah.

 2)Belief in the Angels

Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures. The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by His command. Among the angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Qur’an to Muhammad .

 3)Belief in God’s Revealed Books

Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Quran, which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . God has guaranteed the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion. God has said:

“Indeed, We have sent down the Quran, and surely We will guard it (from corruption).” (Quran, 15:9)

 4)Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God

Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam, including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them). But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Muslims believe that Muhammad  is the last prophet sent by God, as God has said:

“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the prophets…” (Quran, 33:40)

Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.

 5)Belief in the Day of Judgment

Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people will be resurrected for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.

 6)Belief in Al-Qadar

Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.
The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:

• God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
• God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
• Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen.
• God is the Creator of everything.

Quranic Verses & Hadith to Prove That Going Dargah is Shirk

Are we allowed to visit Dargah?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Visiting the graves is permissible for the men in Islam, but the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on the women who are frequest visitors to the graves, but there is no harm if a woman occasionally visits the graveyard.

Abdallah ibn Buraidah reported from his father that the Prophet (saws) said: "I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now you may visit them. It will remind you of the Hereafter." (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan)

(In the beginning at the time of the Prophet (saws), he (saws) prohibited the believers from visitlng the graves because of their proximity to the jahiliyyah (Days of Ignorance). After they had fully entered the fold of Islam, became well pleased with it, and had fully accepted its laws, the Prophet (saws) permitted them to visit graves.)

Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet (saws) visited his mother' s grave and cried, and everyone there cried with him.Then the Prophet (saws) said: 'I sought my Lord's permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. I then sought permission to visit her grave and He permitted me to do this. You should visit graves, because they will remind you of the reality of death.'' (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan)

It is reported in an authentic narration that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: , "May Allah curse the women who are frequent visitors of the graves."

Anas reported: "The Prophet(saws) saw a woman crying by the grave of her son, and said to her, 'Fear Allah, and be patient.' She replied, 'What do you care about my tragedy?' When he went away, someone told her, 'Indeed, that was the Messenger of Allah (saws).' The woman felt extremely sorry and she immediately went to the Prophet's house, where she did not find any guards. She called out: 'O Messenger of Allah! I did not recognize you.' The Prophet (saws) said, 'Verily patience is needed at the time of the first affiction'.'' (Bukhari and Muslim) This supports the argument in favor of the permissibility of women visiting graves, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw her at the grave and did not show his disapproval of it.

It is not permissible for one to specifically travel to dargahs or any graveyard. If one is in the area or city, then there is no harm if one visits the graveyard. This ruling is based on the narration of the Prophet (saws) who said: "One should notundertake journeys except to three mosques: the Masjid al-Haram (Makkah), the Aqsa mosque (Jerusalem), or this mosque (the Prophets mosque in Medina)."

Aishah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah cursed the Jews and Christians [because] they took the graves of their prophets as mosques." This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, and an-Nasa' i.

'Aishah reports that Umm Salamah mentioned the churches she saw in Abyssinia and the pictures they contained to the Messenger of Allah (saws). The Prophet (saws) said to her: "These are the people who, when a pious servant or pious man among them dies, build a mosque [place of worship] upon their graves and put those pictures in it. They are the worst of the whole creation in the sight of Allah." This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and an-Nasa' i.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Before you there was a group who turned the graves of their prophets and their righteous ones into mosques. Do not turn graves into mosques. I forbid you to do that'.'' (Muslim)

Abu Hurairah narrated that The Prophet (saws) said: 'May Allah curse Jews and Christians for they turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship'.'' (Muslim Bukhari and Muslim)

Whoever pays a visit to a grave should face the deceased, greet him, and supplicate for him. On this subject we find the following:

Buraidah reported that The Prophet (saws) taught us that when we visited graves we should say, 'Peace be upon you, O believing men and women, O dwellers of this place. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. You have preceded us and we are to follow you. We supplicate to Allah to grant us and you security'.'' (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and others)

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "Once the Prophet (saws) passed by graves in Madinah. He tumed his face toward them saying: 'Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You have preceded us, and we are following your trail'." (Tirmidhi)

What some people do, like wiping hands over the graves and tombs, kissing them, bowing down in sajdah to the graves, and circumambulating around them are abominable innovations and clear and manfiest acts of shirk. All sorts of ceremonies and celebrations which are done on the graves like chaadar, niyaaz, etc. are innovations and should not be done by one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited the graves to supplicate for their inhabitants, and to seek mercy and forgiveness of Allah for them. Contrary to this, the pagans supplicated to the dead, swearing by them, asking them for their needs, and seeking their support and help. Such pagan practices are in conflict with the guidance of the Prophet (saws) and his teachings about the Oneness of Allah and about the manner of supplicating for Allah's mercy for the dead. The people who do such things are guilty of shirk (polytheism).

The people who visit the graves may be divided into three categories:

those who supplicate for the deceased,

those who supplicate through the deceased,

and those who supplicate to the deceased.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 22:And the dead and the living are not alike! Allah causes whomever He wills to hear, but you cannot make those who are buried in the graves to hear you.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 20-21:All the other beings, whom the people invoke with Allah, create nothing! Nay, they are themselves created. They are DEAD, not living, and they do not at all know themselves when they shall again be raised to life!

In light of the above clear aayahs and Sunnah of the Messenger (saws), the believers, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, are only allowed to visit the graves and supplicate Allah Subhanah for the deceased. The acts of making supplication through the deceased and to the deceased are abominable innovations and a clear and manifest form of shirk.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allahs Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.