JUMA (FRIDAY PRAYER)

Juma is Farz-e-Ain meaning obligatory on all individuals. It's obligation is more important than Zohr and those who reject it is a Kafir [Durr-e-Mukhtar, etc.]. It is quoted in the Hadith that those who miss three Jumas has thrown Islam behind them, and he is a hypocrite and is disassociated from Allah [Ibne-Khuzaima, Imam Shafaee].

• Rule: To pray Juma there are six conditions and if one of these is not fulfilled then the Juma will not count.

Conditions of Juma

• Town or outskirts of town
• Leadership (King)
• Time of Zohr
• Khutba - (Speech)
• Jamaat
• Acceptance by majority.

First Condition - Town or Outskirts of town

Town means a place which has many streets and a shopping centre or markets etc. It also has a district and villages belonging to that district. There must also be a judge or mayor belonging to it whom by his power or authority can ensure people go on trial and justice is upheld, even though he may himself be injustice or does not uphold the law. Outskirts of town mean them places which are constructed because of the town, such as a cemetery, stables for horses, barracks for the army and courts and these are on the outskirts of the town to give service to the town and Juma is allowed there. Therefore the Juma should be either prayed in the city or town or the outskirts of the town, it is not allowed in the villages [Guniya, Bahar-e-Shariat]. Rule: For the town, it's judge or mayor needs to reside there and if he travels and goes elsewhere that place visited will not become a town and the Juma would not be allowed there [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar-e-Shariat]. Rule: If a person who lives in a village goes to a town and intends to stay there that day then the Juma is Farz for them.
Multiple places in a town where Juma can be prayed

• Rule: Juma can be performed in a town in multiple locations and anywhere within the town, whether the town is large or small and the Juma can be in two Mosques or more [Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.]. However, without reason Juma should not be prayed in many different locations because Juma is a sign of Islam and is a congregation of all Jamaats and if it is spread about in different Mosques then the same show does not remain as you would get in one large gathering and it is because of the sign of all Muslims uniting that it has been allowed and so the gathering should not be split and a Juma should not be done in every street or area unnecessarily.

Who should lead the Juma ?

There is a very important point that people have not been paying attention to and have been treating Juma like other normal Namaz and whoever wishes has started a new Juma and whoever wishes they have lead it, this is not allowed, because leading the Juma is the duty of the king of Islam or his deputies and wherever there is not Islamic rule then the highest qualified scholar who is from the correct faith of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wa Jamaat is the person who substitutes the Sultan of Islam and ensures that the rules of Islamic law are followed should lead the Juma, and without his permission the Juma cannot be performed. If this is not possible then the person who people choose as their Imam has to lead the Juma prayers. Also whilst the majority of people being present some of them cannot make a person an Imam or four people decide on an Imam, this type of Juma is not proven anywhere [Bahar-e-Shariat].
Second Condition - King or leader

Leader means a Sultan of Islam or his deputy whom the Sultan has given authority to lead the Juma prayers. Even if the Sultan is a ferocious person or a good person he can lead the prayers. If a person has forced himself into power and according to Shariat he has no right of becoming an Imam, such as he is not a Qureshi or does not fulfil any other condition he can still call for juma prayer [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar etc.].
Third condition - Time

The time of Juma is the time of Zohr, meaning the Juma should be prayed in the time that Zohr is prayed and if in Juma Namaz you got upto praying Attahiyat and the time of Asr started then the Juma Namaz becomes void and you would have to pray the Qaza of Zohr.
Fourth Condition - Khutba (Speech)

• Rule: The condition for the Khutba of Juma is that it is done within the time and is done before the Juma Namaz. It must be performed in front of such a Jamaat which is necessary for Juma and that is a minimum of three men except for the person performing the Khutba. It should be so loud that the people nearby can hear it and if this is not the case or the Khutba is prayed before midday or after the Namaz or prayed alone or prayed in front of women or children then in all these situations the Juma will not count.
• Rule: If between the Khutba and Namaz there is a big gap then that Khutba would not be sufficient [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar-e-Shariat].

What is known as a Khutba 

• Rule: Khutba is the remembrance of Allah and therefore even if once 'Alhamdo Lillahi' or 'Subhanallahi'or 'La ila Ha illallah' is prayed, then the Farz would be fulfilled, but to make the Khutba that short is Makrooh [Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.].
• Rule: It is Sunnat to pray two Khutbas and they should not be very long and if they both together are longer than 'Tawal-e-Mufassal' then it is Makrooh especially in the winter [Guniya, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Things that are Sunnat in the Khutba Rule:

Rule: The things that are Sunnat in the Khutba is;

• The Khateeb (person praying the Khutba) to be clean and stood up.
• Before the Khutba the Khateeb to be sat down.
• The Khateeb to be stood on the Mimbar facing the audience and with his back towards the Qibla.
• The audience to be paying attention to the Imam.
• To pray 'A'oozubillah' quietly before the Khutba.
• To pray with your own voice so loud that the people can hear.
• To start with 'Alhamdo'.
• To praise Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala.
• To bear witness of Allah's monotheism and to bear witness the prophet-hood of the Holy Prophet Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam.
• To send the Holy Prophet Durood.
• To pray at least one verse of the Holy Quran.
• In the first Khutba to be words of guidance and advice and in the second Khutba to contain praise and witness and to repeat the Durood and to pray for other Muslims.
• Both Khutbas to be light.
• To sit between the two Khutbas for a length of three verses.
• It is Mustahhab to lower the voice for the second Khutba slightly less than the first one and to remember the great Sahhabis and Hazrat Hamza and Hazrat Abbas Radi Allaho Ta'ala Anhum.

It is better to start the Second Khutba like this:

"Alhamdo Lillahi Nahmadaho Wa Nasta'eenuhu Wa Nastaghfiruhu Wanu'Minu Bihi Wanatawakkalu Alaihi Wa Na'uzubillahi Min Shururi Anfusina Wa Min Sayyi Aati A'malina Mayyahdihillahu Fala Mudillalah Wamayyudlillhu Falaa Haadiyalah Wanash Hadu An La ilaha illallahu Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Wa Nash Hadu Anna Sayyadina Wa Maulana Muhammadan Abduhu Wa Rasooluh"

If a person is in front of the Imam then he should face the Imam and if he is either on his left or right side then he should turn towards the Imam. It is better to be close to the Imam, however, it is not allowed to cross other people's necks to get there. Although if the Imam has not yet stood up for the Khutba and there is space near the front then it is allowed to go there and if the Imam has already started the Khutba and you then enter the Mosque, then you should sit in the nearest space or corner available. You should sit whilst listening to the Khutba as you sit in Qaidah in Namaz [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Guniya and Bahar].

• Rule: To praise and exalt a king of Islam which he does not acquire is Haram, for example to call him 'the one who owns people's lives' etc. because this is a lie and is Haram [Durr-e-Mukhtar].
• Rule: Not to pray a verse of the Quran in the Khutba or not to sit between two Khutbas or for the Khateeb to speak whist praying the Khutba is Makrooh. However, if the Khateeb promoted good or forbid evil then there is no harm [Alamgiri, Bahar].
• Rule: To pray the Khutba in another language except Arabic or to mix another language with Arabic is against the Sunnat and is not preferred. Also poetry should not be prayed in the Khutba even if it is in the Arabic language. If the a couple of verses of poetry is said which is about advice and is prayed sometimes then there is no harm [Bahar-e-Shahat].

Fifth Condition - Jamaat

Except for the Imam there must be at least another three men, otherwise the Juma will not count [Hidaya, Shareh Wiqaya, Alamgiri, Qazi Khan].

• Rule: If there are three servants or three travellers or ill people or uneducated or dumb Muqtadees then the Juma will still count. If there are only women or children present then the Juma will not count [Alamgiri, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

Sixth Condition - Acceptance of all

This means that the doors of the mosque are opened so that anyone wishing could attend the Juma, no-one must be stopped or prevented. If in a major Mosque (Jamia Mosque) when everyone gathers, the doors were locked behind then the Juma will not count [Alamgiri].

• Rule: If women are prevented from coming into the Mosque then it won't be against accepting all, as if they came there would be fear of trouble [Radd-ul-Mohtar].

For more information about this, goto http://www.123muslim.com/islamic-articles/9671-juma-friday-prayer.html  thank you :) God bless you, amin.