Ramadan 2019 –Day 4: Significance of Friday prayers during Ramadan
Millions of Muslims world wide took to the streets for the first Friday prayers of the Holy month of Ramadan today. Jumu’ah also is known as Friday Prayer or Congregational Prayer is a prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according to the sun’s sky path regardless of time zones. But the first Friday (Jumu’a) of Ramadan is considered as one of the most important days in Islam, certainly Friday has its own general significance in Islam; however, the holy month of Ramadan makes it extremely chaste.
The first Friday of Ramadan was celebrated dotingly. Muslims appeared in large numbers in various mosques of the across the world today to offer the Friday namaz and khutba. Prayers were performed, bowing down, standing after, bowing again to touch the forehead on the ground, concentrating on heart, focusing on divinity of the supreme God, unimaginable, un-described, existing, most powerful, most merciful, most intellectual called Allah – The Almighty.
The Qur’an invokes the importance of Friday as a sacred day of worship in a chapter called “Al-Jumah,” meaning the day of congregation, which is also the word for Friday in Arabic. It states, “O you who believe! When you are called to congregational (Friday) prayer, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off trade
Importance of Friday
Friday is a very important day for Muslims. It is more significant and more beneficial than any other day of the week. It is the day that Muslims gather together to pray in congregation. Directly before the prayer they listen to a lecture designed to empower them with valuable knowledge about God, and the religion of Islam. It is a blessed day that has been designated as such by God, Almighty; no other day of the week shares its virtues.
A believer’s entire life is one of worship; even celebrations are conducted as worship. While there is no special place or special time to worship God, there are moments, days, or times that God has made more superior; Friday is one of those times. From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, we learn that “The best day in the sight of God is Friday, the day of congregation”.[1] Congregational prayers (obligatory for men) are one of the most strongly emphasized duties in Islam. It is a time when Muslims come together to worship One God and find strength and comfort by standing shoulder to shoulder and reaffirming their faith and devotion to Him.
Muslims all over the world attends the Jum’ua prayers followed by the Khutba (sermons), which is ardently listened to and believed on by the Sun’aah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Mercy upon Him and His Progeny) It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does Ghusl then comes to Jumu’ah, and prays as much as Allah decrees for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah is over, then prays with him (the imam), will be forgiven for (his sins) between that and the next Jumu’ah and three more days.” Narrated by Muslim, 857
There are hundreds of similar Ahadeeth recorded counting the graciousness of Friday and month of Ramadan also known as Ramazan, Sher-ul-Allah-e-Moazzam, the month of Allah, the month of virtues, mercy, prayers, the month of forgiveness and month of purity.
