The 5 Dos for Muslims on Friday: Sunnahs of Jumu’ah
Allah has made Friday, Jumu’ah, a special day for the ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. There is a lot of grace in it, and there are things we should and should not do. In this post I’d like to share five dos for Muslims on Friday, each one from an authentic hadith.
At a glance
- Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 883, Sahih al-Bukhari 891, Sunan an-Nasa’i 1383, Sahih Muslim 853, Sahih Muslim 881
- Grade: All Sahih (Bukhari, Muslim; Darussalam for an-Nasa’i)
- Topic: Sunnahs to do on Friday
- Put it into practice: Pick one you have never done and try it this Friday
1. Take a bath (ghusl) before the Friday prayer
لاَ يَغْتَسِلُ رَجُلٌ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَيَتَطَهَّرُ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْ طُهْرٍ، وَيَدَّهِنُ مِنْ دُهْنِهِ، أَوْ يَمَسُّ مِنْ طِيبِ بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ، فَلاَ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ، ثُمَّ يُنْصِتُ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ الإِمَامُ، إِلاَّ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجُمُعَةِ الأُخْرَى
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds (for the Jumu’ah prayer) and does not separate two persons sitting together (in the mosque), then prays as much as (Allah has) written for him and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the khutbah, his sins in-between the present and the last Friday would be forgiven.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 883 · Narrated by Salman al-Farisi · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Other hadith stress the Friday ghusl strongly too, such as Sahih al-Bukhari 879 and Sunan Abi Dawud 342. If something stops you from bathing just before the prayer, do it earlier in the morning. May Allah accept it from us. For the detailed rulings on the Friday ghusl, ask a qualified scholar.
2. Recite Surah as-Sajdah and Surah al-Insan at Fajr
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Alif Lam Mim Tanzil (Surah as-Sajdah, 32) and Hal ata ‘ala al-insan (Surah al-Insan, 76) in the Fajr prayer on Friday (Sahih al-Bukhari 891).
Surah as-Sajdah is recited in the first rak’ah after al-Fatihah, and Surah al-Insan in the second. If you have memorized these surahs, or are working on memorizing them, this is a lovely sunnah to follow when you pray Fajr on a Friday; other surahs are permissible as well.
3. Wear perfume and use the siwak
إِنَّ الْغُسْلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ عَلَى كُلِّ مُحْتَلِمٍ وَالسِّوَاكَ وَأَنْ يَمَسَّ مِنَ الطِّيبِ مَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Ghusl should be performed on Friday by everyone who has reached the age of puberty, and using the siwak, and he should put on whatever he is able of using perfume.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i 1383 · Narrated by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri · Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) · Translation from Sunnah.com
Clean your teeth before going to the mosque, and if you can, wear the best clothes you have, as if you are celebrating a small Eid every week.
4. Make lots of dua, especially in the special hour
There is an hour on Friday in which dua is answered. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet ﷺ describe it:
هِيَ مَا بَيْنَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ الإِمَامُ إِلَى أَنْ تُقْضَى الصَّلاَةُ
“It is between the time when the Imam sits down and the end of the prayer.”
Sahih Muslim 853 · Narrated by Abu Burdah ibn Abi Musa al-Ash’ari · Translation from Sunnah.com
That window is quite short, so stay attentive to the khutbah. It would be such a waste not to make dua at such an opportune time. I know that sometimes we get sleepy during the khutbah (sermon) but let’s try to change that, alright.
Another narration points to the end of the day:
يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ سَاعَةً لاَ يُوجَدُ فِيهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ آتَاهُ إِيَّاهُ فَالْتَمِسُوهَا آخِرَ سَاعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Friday is twelve hours in which there is no Muslim slave who asks Allah for something but He will give it to him, so seek it in the last hour after ‘Asr.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i 1389 · Narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah · Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) · Translation from Sunnah.com
Someone told me that people in olden days used to spend the entire ‘Asr at mosques. They continuously supplicate in order to seek for the opportune hour. May Allah grant them bountiful rewards for acting on this hadith. Do you have pressing needs or wishes? Then increase your dua on Friday, especially in these two times.
5. Pray four rak’ahs after the Friday prayer
إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمُ الْجُمُعَةَ فَلْيُصَلِّ بَعْدَهَا أَرْبَعًا
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “When any one of you observes the Jumu’ah prayer, he should observe four (rak’ahs) afterwards.”
Sahih Muslim 881 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
I myself have never performed it and only when writing this article that I became aware of this practice. For those who are the same as I am, let’s try to do it next Friday. May we become consistent in doing it.
Reflection: none of these five are heavy. A bath, some perfume, two surahs, a few minutes of dua and four rak’ahs. Friday rewards those who prepare for it.
Key lessons
- Friday is a special day for this ummah, and preparing for Jumu’ah is part of the sunnah.
- Ghusl, perfume and the siwak are all mentioned in authentic hadith.
- There is an hour on Friday when dua is answered.
- Praying four rak’ahs after Jumu’ah is from the sunnah.
Questions people ask
What are the sunnahs of Friday?
Among them: ghusl, perfume and the siwak (Sahih al-Bukhari 883, Sunan an-Nasa’i 1383), reciting as-Sajdah and al-Insan at Fajr (Sahih al-Bukhari 891), seeking the hour of answered dua (Sahih Muslim 853) and praying four rak’ahs after Jumu’ah (Sahih Muslim 881).
When is the hour of accepted dua on Friday?
One narration says it is between the imam sitting down and the end of the prayer (Sahih Muslim 853); another says to seek it in the last hour after ‘Asr (Sunan an-Nasa’i 1389).
How many rak’ahs are prayed after Jumu’ah?
The Prophet ﷺ said: when one of you prays Jumu’ah, let him pray four rak’ahs after it (Sahih Muslim 881). For details, ask a local scholar.
There are lots more to add to the five dos for Muslims on Friday, but this list is already long enough. I know and agree that some items in this list are hard to achieve, but we can do our best to act on the ones we can. It is a journey, and may that journey bring us to Jannatul Firdaus, you and me.
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