The Significance of Friday
Allah Almighty has honored certain days and months above others, which is among His greatest blessings. This distinction allows believers to earn His mercy and forgiveness by performing good deeds during specific times, including Friday, which is celebrated as a day of festivity for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: “Indeed, this is a day of celebration that Allah has ordained for the Muslims.” Therefore, the act of drawing closer to Allah through various forms of worship, such as the Friday prayer and frequent salutations upon the Prophet, is especially revered on this day.
Supplications for Friday Afternoon
Friday holds immense virtues, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged believers to turn to Allah with their supplications. He remarked: “There are twelve hours on Friday, and one of them is the hour of response. Therefore, seek it during the last hour after Asr.” Among the supplications that can be recited are the following:
- (O Allah, all praise is due to You, abundant and blessed. O Allah, I praise You as befits Your Majesty and Greatness. O Allah, I praise You in proportion to Your creation, Your satisfaction, the weight of Your Throne, and the ink of Your words. O Allah, I praise You until You are satisfied, and I praise You upon Your satisfaction.)
- (O Allah, You are the Light of the heavens and the earth, the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, the Compeller of the heavens and the earth, the Judge of the heavens and the earth, the Inheritor of the heavens and the earth, the Owner of the heavens and the earth, the Great One of the heavens and the earth, the All-Knowing of the heavens and the earth, the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, the Most Merciful in this world and the Most Merciful in the Hereafter.)
- (O Allah, You are the Forbearing, so do not hasten. You are the Generous, so do not withhold. You are the Mighty, so do not humiliate. You are the Strong, so do not be compelled. You are the Protector, so do not let me be wronged. You are Capable of everything).
- (O Allah, to You I extend my hands, and within them, I hold my great hope. Accept my repentance, have mercy on my weakness, forgive my sins, accept my apology, and grant me a portion of every good, and a path towards every goodness, through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.)
- (O Allah, do not deprive me of the vastness of Your mercy, the abundance of Your blessings, the completeness of Your healing, and the bountifulness of Your gifts. Do not withhold Your bestowals from me due to my shortcomings, do not punish me for my evil deeds, and do not turn Your Noble Face away from me through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.)
- (O Allah, I ask You in my prayer and supplication for the blessings that cleanse my heart, alleviate my burdens, forgive my sins, rectify my affairs, enrich my poverty, remove my evil, dispel my worries and grief, heal my ailments, settle my debts, brighten my sadness, unify my affairs, and lighten my face, O Most Merciful of the merciful.)
- (O Allah, do not hold us accountable for the foolish actions of some among us. O Allah, do not deal with us according to what we deserve; deal with us according to what You deserve.)
- (Praise be to Allah, from whom I seek nothing but His grace, and who provides for none but Him. Allah is the Greatest; nothing is comparable to Him, neither in the heavens nor on the earth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.)
- (O Allah, never turn away from us on the Day we meet You. O Allah, do not cast us away from Your door, for who do we have, O our Lord, if You cast us away, O Lord of the worlds, and O Most Merciful of the merciful.)
- (There is no deity but Allah, affirming His Lordship. Glory be to Allah, in submission to His greatness. There is no power and no strength except by Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.)
- (O Allah, I ask You for Your praise; there is no deity but You, the Gracious Bestower, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of Glory and Honor, through Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.)
- (O Allah, none can guide those You have led astray, nor can anyone give what You withhold, nor can anyone prevent what You grant, nor can anyone extend what You seize, nor can anyone advance what You delay, nor can anyone delay what You advance.)
- (O Allah, You are the Rich and we are in need. Grant us rain and do not make us among the despairing. O Allah, bless us with the rain of faith in our hearts, and do not withhold Your mercy from us, O Lord of the worlds.)
- (O Allah, grant us the delight of gazing upon Your Noble Face and the longing for Your meeting without going astray, without being misled, and without being tempted. O Allah, shade us under Your shade on the Day when there is no shade but Yours.)
Traditions of Friday
A number of traditions and etiquette associated with Friday have been mentioned, including the following:
- Performing ghusl (a full ritual washing) as indicated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “When any one of you comes to Friday, let him perform ghusl.”
- Applying perfume and dressing well, as per the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) guidance: “Let not a man perform ghusl on Friday and purify himself as much as he can, and apply some oil or perfume from his home before he goes out, and let him not separate between two people, and let him pray what has been prescribed for him. Then he should listen when the Imam speaks; if he does so, his past sins will be forgiven until the next Friday.”
- Arriving early for Friday prayer. There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the exact timing for arriving early; however, the majority agree it refers to the early hours of the day, while Imam Malik states it begins at noon.
- Walking to the Friday prayer.
- Listening attentively to the sermon during prayer time.
- Offering two units of prayer (rak’ahs) as a greeting for the mosque.