OFFERING JUMU’AH AS DID OUR BELOVED PROPHET (SALALLAHU ALLAIHI WASALLAM)

By:Muhammad Tauseef 

Salat-al-Jumu’ah or the Friday congregational prayer is one of the most pronounced symbols of Islam and is counted as one of the major obligations for a believer (Muslim). There are strict warnings and admonishings against abandoning it, as the Prophet of Islam (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) said: “Whoever misses three Jumu’ahs continuously out of neglect, Allah (the exalted) will place a seal upon his heart.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1052; al-Nasaa’i, 1369; Ibn Maajah, 1126; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. To offer the Salat-al-Jumuah in congregation is an obligatory deed for every able-bodied believer who hears the call (Adhan) for Salah.
The books of Ahadith are pregnant with indications that the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) used to come out of his house on the day of Jumu’ah (Friday) and climb up on his minbar. Then the muadhin would give the call for the said prayer (Adhaan), and when he finished, the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) would start his sermon (khutbah) and would offer no Sunah Salah before his sermon. If there were any Sunnah prayers to be offered before obligatory (Fardh) Jumu’ah Salah, he (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) would have told and ordered his men/comrades (Sahabah) about it and would have verily directed them to do it after the Adhan, and he would have done it himself also but as such no Hadith claims the same. At the time of the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him), there was nothing apart from the Adhaan just before the khutbah-al-Jumuah (Friday Sermon).
Hence the majority of Imams agreed that there is no sunnah Salah (prayer) to be offered at a specific time before the commencement of obligatory (Fardh) Jumu’ah Salah with, because that would have been reported from the words or actions of the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him), and nothing of that nature or sort has been reported from him as such. This is the madhhab of Imam al-Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and most of their companions, and is the well-known view in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad too. It is worth mentioning that the great Islamic scholar Al-‘Iraaqi said:
“I have not seen anything to indicate that the three Imams recommended praying Sunnah before it [Jumu’ah].”
Also the great and reverent muhaddith al-Albaani commented:
“For that reason, this so-called Sunnah is not mentioned in Kitaab al-Umm by Imam al-Shaafa’i, or in al-Masaa’il by Imam Ahmad bin Humbal, or by any of the other early Imams, as far as I know. Hence, I say Those who pray this Sunnah are not following the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) or imitating any of the Imams; on the contrary, they are imitating the later scholars who are like them in that they are also imitators [of earlier scholars] rather than mujtahideen [scholars who investigate and form their own rulings]. I am amazed to see an imitator imitating another imitator”. (For more details, please see al-Qawl al-Mubeen, 60, 374).
Moreover, between the first call of Jumu’ah prayer and the second call, there should be sufficient time for people to get ready to pray, not just the time it takes to pray two rak’ahs or thereabouts, as is done in some places especially ours. With regard to making du’aa’ together in one voice behind the imaam after the prayer, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen answered this question in al-Fataawaa, p. 368, where he said:
“This is one of the bida’ahs which was not reported from the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) or from his companions. What is prescribed in Islam is for people to remember Allaah Alone after the prayer, in accordance with the teachings of the Messenger of Allaah (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him), and this should be done aloud, as reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both), who said: “People used to raise their voices in Dhikr [remembrance of Allaah] after finishing the prescribed prayers at the time of the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him)”.
With regard to the prayer after Jumu’ah, Ibn al-Qayyim also said in al-Zaad (1/440): When the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him) had prayed Jumu’ah, he would enter his house and pray two Rak’ahs of Sunnah, and he commanded those who had prayed it to pray four rak’ahs afterwards. Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ibn Taymiyah said: if he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four, and if he prayed at home, he would pray two. This is what is indicated by many ahadith. Abu Dawood reported in his Sunan (1130) from Ibn ‘Umar that when he prayed in the mosque, he prayed four and when he prayed at home, he prayed two Raka’ahs of Sunnah.
We as the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him)should always strive and remind ourselves to not do that which is bida’ah and not to take part in it; we must advise and enjoin ourselves as well as our fellow people to follow the Sunnah of our beloved Rasoolullah (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him); and should also remember the Islamic rulings. Let us ask our Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) to guide us all to the Straight Path and may Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah the Almighty be upon him).

WAMA ALLAINA ILLAL BALAGUL MUBEEN

(The writer can be contacted at muhammadtauseefmir@gmail.com)