Friday Jummah prayer is a congregational prayer that Muslims perform every Friday in the afternoon, usually around noon. It is considered one of the most important prayers of the week and is mandatory for adult male Muslims who are physically and mentally capable to attend. Women can also attend the Jummah prayer, but it is not mandatory for them.
The structure of the Jummah prayer is as follows:
- The first part of the Jummah prayer is the Khutbah, which is a sermon delivered by the Imam (leader of the prayer) before the prayer. The Khutbah consists of two parts, in which the Imam addresses the congregation and reminds them about their duties to Allah and their fellow human beings.
- After the Khutbah, the Imam leads the congregation in performing two Rak’ah (cycles) of the Jummah prayer. The prayer is similar to the regular daily prayer but has some differences in the recitations and movements.
- Once the prayer is completed, the Imam may deliver a short sermon, which is called the post-Khutbah sermon. This sermon can cover a variety of topics and may offer practical advice and guidance to the congregation.
If a person is late and finds only 1 rakat with the congregation he should complete the second rakat alone.
Before the Jummah prayer, it is recommended to perform four Rakats of voluntary prayer, known as Sunnah Muakkadah. These are the prayers that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to perform regularly and strongly emphasized their importance.
After the Jummah prayer, it is recommended to perform two Rakats of voluntary prayer, known as Sunnah Muakkadah.
The Jummah prayer replaces the regular Dhuhr (noon) prayer on Fridays. So, there is no need to perform the Dhuhr prayer separately on Fridays if one has attended the Jummah prayer. However, if someone misses the Jummah prayer, they should perform the Dhuhr prayer as usual.
