The salat prayer on a day of Friday (al-salati min yawmi al-jumu`ati) is decreed for the Muslims on a day of the Friday found in the Quran (62:9). The salat prayer on Friday is a congregational prayer, which is established weekly in a gathering of the believers at Zahur prayer time. Thus, the Zahur prayer on Friday is replaced with the salat prayer on Friday in every week, which is established following the same method as preserved being an existing practice (4:125, 16:123, 22:78).
5 times Salat Prayer at a glance
God has blessed us to confirm 5 times salat prayer at specific times a day mentioning the weekly salat prayer on a day of the Friday by name. The details can be found in 10 verses across 10 surahs, even there is a mathematical confirmation from the relevant verses and suras as shown in the table below:
Note: This mathematical confirmation ensures 5 times salat prayer decreed at specific times mentioning the Dawn (Fajr), the Night (Isha) and the salat prayer on a day of Friday ( al-salati min yawmi al-jumu`ati) by name.
Remembering God through the Salat Prayer
The Quran teaches that God deserves all our praise and prayer (20:14, 3:18, 37:35 and 47:19), and the best way to remember Him is the salat prayer (29:45) including the salat prayer on a day of Friday to establish it in congregation (62:9):
[20:14] Indeed Me, I am God; there is no god except I. You (Moses) shall worship Me, and shall establish the salat prayer for My remembrance.
Note: We may reflect it that God, in the first person singular form has commanded us to remember Him through the salat prayer in 20:14 while He has confirmed 5 times salat prayer a day down the sura in 20:130.
[3:18] God has borne witness that there is no god except He, and so has done the angels and possessors of the knowledge established with the justice: there is no god except He, the Almighty, the Wise.
[37:35] When it was said to them: “There is no god besides God,” they were arrogant.
[47:19] So, you (Muhammad) shall know that there is no god except God, and shall ask forgiveness of your sin and of the believing men as well as the believing women while God knows (all) your return and (all) your reward.
[29:45] You (Muhammad) shall recite what has been revealed to you of the scripture, and shall establish the salat prayer. Indeed, the salat prayer forbids from the immorality and the evil, and surely, remembering God is the greatest, while God knows what you (all) do.
[62:9] O you who have believed, when a call has been made for the salat prayer on a day of the Friday, then you shall hasten to remembrance of God, and shall leave the business. That is better for you, if you have done to know.
Mathematical confirmation
The above set of verses is very crucial being closely related to better understand God’s teaching to worship Him alone through the salat prayer without associating anyone or anything with Him for avoiding idol worship, which nullifies all works of the believers. This set can also be mathematically confirmed if the digits of the relevant surah and verse numbers are added, the total is a multiple of 19 => 95 (19x5) (see details in the table below):
Note: This mathematical confirmation ensures that the salat prayer including the Friday Congregation Prayer is to be dedicated to God alone exposing all corruptions in the practice as introduced by the tradition over the period of time.
Friday Congregation Prayer
The weekly Friday Congregation Prayer is the salat prayer on a day of the Friday (al-salati min yawmi al-jumu’ati) at Zahur time, which has a great importance. The commandment is to hasten to remember God even dropping all business as well as to fight against all forms of distraction from remembering and commemorating God is described in the following verses of the Quran:
[62:9] O you who have believed, when a call has been made for the salat prayer on a day of the Friday (al-salati min yawmi al-jumu’ati), you shall hasten to remembrance of God, and shall leave the business. That is better for you, if you have done to know.
[62:10] Then when the salat prayer has been completed, you shall spread in the land and shall seek from God’s bounty, and shall remember God much, that you may succeed.
[62:11] And when they have seen a business deal, or an entertainment, they have rushed to it and have left you (Muhammad) standing. Say, “What is at God is better than the entertainment and the business deal. And God is the best Provider.”
Moreover, there are other verses that are also directly relevant to the Friday prayer being the congregational prayer going to a place of worship to be purified (9:108) having dressed up nicely (7:26, 29 & 31) with a way out to turn our homes to be places of worship if such places are not found to avoid idol worship (10:87):
[9:108] You shall never stand in it. A masjid founded on the righteousness from the first day, is more worthy that you shall stand in it. In it, there are people who love to be purified and God loves those who purify themselves.
[7:26] O Children of Adam, we have given you clothing to cover your shame as well as for luxury. But the best clothing is the righteousness. That is from God’s signs so that they may take heed.
[7:29] Say, “My Lord has commanded with the justice, while you shall stand yourselves at every masjid and shall call Him, being sincere to Him in the religion; as He has initiated you to return.”
[7:31] O Children of Adam, you shall have your nice dress to every masjid, and shall eat and drink but do not be immoderate. Indeed, He does not love the immoderate ones.
[10:87] And we inspired Moses and his brother that ‘settle your people in houses of Egypt and make your houses into places of worship, and establish the Contact Prayer. And give good news to the believers.
Mathematical confirmation
The details of the commandment of Friday Congregation Prayer are found in a set of verses consisting 8 verses across 4 suras. If the sura and verse numbers are added, the sum is a multiple of 19 => 399 = 19x21 (see details in the table below):
Note: This mathematical confirmation indicates the direct relationship between the commandment of the Friday Congregation Prayer and of going to the masjid being nicely dressed up to be purified by God with an opportunity to fulfill this rite in the houses of the believers to avoid idol worshiping at unusual circumstances, i.e., in the case the masjid established on the basis of righteousness is not found around.
Method of Friday Congregation Prayer
The 4-unit Zahur prayer on Friday is replaced with the Friday Congregation Prayer in every week while the 4-unit prayer is replaced with 2-part khutbah (sermon) and 2-unit prayer. The 2-unit prayer is observed followed by the 2-part sermon conforms with the 4-unit of Zahur (Noon) prayer.
2-part sermon
- The Friday Congregational Prayer is a rite decreed by God to gather as a community to commemorate Him and to deliver His truth and judgment based on His guidance in the most eloquent of all languages.
- Since it has the great importance emphasized by God of this weekly congregation, we must strive in God’s cause with our time, effort, and knowledge to prepare the Friday sermon. It would have an impact on the health and well-being of a community,
- The sermon should promote the valuable teachings of Quran and fully conform to the ethics of it, which should serve the community to prosper through the reminders and lessons of Quran.
- Attendees get inspired by the well-prepared sermons and they also get charged with all positive energy when an effort is made to remind with the wisdom of Quran.
- Each part of the sermon (khutbah) is delivered beginning with saying: alhadulillah. laa-ilaha illaa allah “praise to God, and there is no god except God” is a basic utterance as preserved.
- This rite has a great importance and has to be given our utmost attention.
- This time is about the sermon we are receiving, and never be used for greetings, hugging, joking, or exchanging comments or about our attires and new haircuts.
- There is an intermission between the 1st and the 2nd part of the sermon, and this time is dedicated to repenting to God Almighty saying “tuboo ilaa allah”. Both the khatib and the attendees repent at this time.
- The 2nd part of the khutbah begins with saying: alhadulillah. laa-ilaha illaa allah “praise to God, and there is no god except God” and ends with greeting of peace and wishing of God’s blessing.
2-unit of prayer
- The method is followed as preserved and confirmed to perform the 2 units of jum`ah prayer while the prayer is completed by reciting 50 words consisting of 228 letters in 7 positions just like the daily Contact Prayer, that has even been confirmed with a simple mathematical analysis to be certain its steps and specific recitation => 7 + 50 + 228 = 285 (19x15).
- A call to the prayer (adhan) is made before starting the two-unit of prayer to get the attendees’ attention to get up and align themselves to finish the prayer. The call is composed of 4 times “allahu akbar” (God is great) and 1 time “laa-Ilaha Illaa allah” (There is no god except God).
- A prayer leader (imam) for a group means that this leader will recite the Prayer in a moderate tone, and the rest will listen to it. It would be very distracting to hear the whispers of all if the attendees try to recite the prayer separately and at different speeds, tones, and accents.
- The whole procedure has a beginning (62:9) and an end (62:10).
Conclusion
The salat prayer is the prime source to nourish our souls (29:45) and so does the Friday Congregation Prayer (al-salati min yawmi al-jumu`ati) being one of the salat prayers (62:9), even there is commandment to continue to remember God once it is done (62:10). The direct relationship between the commandment of the Friday Congregation Prayer and of going to the masjid being nicely dressed up is a rite for the believers to be purified by God. In addition, there is an opportunity for the believers to fulfill this rite in the houses of the believers at unusual circumstances, i.e., when the masjid established on the basis of righteousness is not found around. Thus, both the believing men and the believing women are required to fulfill this rite at any circumstances as the men and the women are spiritually equal (33:35).
The Friday sermon has the great importance emphasized by God of this weekly congregation and we must strive in God’s cause with our time, effort, and knowledge to prepare the Friday sermon, which is delivered with an intermission of repenting to God Almighty by the khatib and the attendees. It would have an impact on the health and well-being of a community that should promote the valuable teachings of the Quran and should fully conform to the ethics of Quran. It should serve the community to prosper through the reminders and lessons of Quran. Since this rite has a great importance in sharing and acquiring knowledge, our utmost attention has to be given to it without having any greetings, joking, or exchanging comments. However, the attendees can discuss on the material of the sermon after finishing the prayer along with exchanging views and comments.
The 2-unit Friday prayer is observed followed by the delivery of the 2-part sermon. The prayer begins with a call to the prayer (adhan) to get the attendees’ attention to get up and align themselves to finish the prayer. The prayer follows the same method as preserved, i.e., Muslims around the world pray in the same way following the same steps and physical positions, even though step by step instructions are not in the Quran being an existing practice (4:125, 16:123 and 22:78). But the level of details given in the Quran is enough for the believers to continue it in a perfect way as well as to recover it if any part of it is lost or corrupted down the generations by the influence of the Satan. The prayer leader will recite the prayer in a moderate tone (17:110), and the rest will listen to it to avoid distraction from hearing the whispers of all if the attendees try to recite the prayer separately and at different speeds, tones, and accents. It is observed weekly in a gathering of the believers at Zahur prayer time and the 4-unit Zahur prayer on Friday is replaced with the 2-unit prayer every week followed by the presentation of 2-part sermon.
God has given us 5 times Contact Prayer at specific times a day including the Friday Congregation Prayer to worship Him alone without associating anyone or anything with Him for avoiding idol worship, which nullifies our all works (4:48, 116). Both the believing men and the believing women are required to attend this weekly prayer being nicely dressed up, even two or more believers can meet in any buildings to fulfill this requirement if the masjids established on the basis of righteousness are not found around. This rite consisting of 2-part sermon and 2-unit prayer as the entirety has to be given our priority and should make our all efforts not to miss it to be purified ourselves.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (9/29/2017)