Chapter Eleven: Friday Prayer and the Two Eid Prayers
صَلَوةُ الجُمُعَةِ والعِيدَيْنِ
Salat al-Jumu'ah — The Friday Prayer
The Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu'ah) is obligatory upon every free, adult, sane, resident Muslim male. It is performed in congregation, consisting of two rak'ats preceded by two sermons (khutbatain) delivered by the imam. Friday is the most virtuous day of the week, and the Friday prayer is the most important weekly communal obligation in Islam.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"O you who believe! When the call to prayer is made on the day of Jumu'ah (Friday), hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade. That is better for you if you only knew. And when the prayer is concluded, spread through the land and seek of the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much that you may succeed." (Sūrah al-Jumuʿah 62:9–10)
This verse makes the obligation of Jumu'ah prayer explicit and Quranic. Abandoning Jumu'ah without a valid excuse is a severe sin. The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned: 'People should stop abandoning Friday prayers, or Allah will seal their hearts and they will be among the heedless.' (Sahih Muslim)
Those Exempt From Jumu'ah
Jumu'ah prayer is not obligatory upon: a woman (though she may attend), a child (who has not reached puberty), a slave (in classical fiqh terminology, i.e., one who is not free), a traveller, or a person who is seriously ill. These individuals are not sinful for not attending, though attendance is meritorious for them.
The Second Adhan — A Practice of Uthman
In the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, only one adhan was called for Jumu'ah — before the imam mounted the pulpit. It was Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), the third caliph, who introduced a second adhan called before the first, in order to alert the people of the markets that Jumu'ah time was approaching. The scholars consider this an approved innovation (bid'ah hasanah) established by a rightly-guided caliph.
Ghusl on Friday
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: مَنْ اغْتَسَلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ غُسْلَ الْجَنَابَةِ ثُمَّ رَاحَ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَدَنَةً
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever performs ghusl on Friday as one performs ghusl for janabah, then sets out early [for the mosque], it is as though he has offered a camel as a sacrifice.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)
Ghusl on Friday is a strongly confirmed sunnah. The earlier one goes to the mosque for Jumu'ah, the greater the reward — the hadith of Abu Hurayrah continues with progressively lesser rewards for those who arrive later, compared to one who has sacrificed a cow, a ram, a chicken, and finally an egg.
The Eid Prayers — Salat al-'Idayn
The two Eid prayers — Eid al-Fitr (at the end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (on the tenth of Dhu al-Hijjah) — are obligatory (wajib, according to the Hanafi school) or confirmed sunnah (according to others) for Muslim men. They are performed in an open prayer ground (musalla) after sunrise.
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
"So pray to your Lord and sacrifice." (Sūrah al-Kawthar 108:2) — This verse is understood to refer to the Eid al-Adha prayer (Salat al-Eid) and the sacrifice (qurbani) that follows it.
The Eid prayer consists of two rak'ats with additional takbirs (known as takbirat al-zawa'id): six extra takbirs in the first rak'at (according to the Hanafi school) and five in the second, in addition to the normal takbirs. After the prayer, the imam delivers two sermons (khutbatain). Women and children are encouraged to attend the Eid prayer; even menstruating women should go to witness the gathering and the supplication, though they do not pray.