Friday Prayer: Difference between revisions

{{about|'''Jumu'a prayer'''|other article named '''Jumu'a'''|Jumu'a (disambiguation)}}

The '''Friday prayer''' (Arabic: {{ia|صَلاة الجُمُعَة}}) is a [[Congregational Prayer|congregational prayer]] with two [[rak'a]]s, prayed in the Friday noon instead of the [[noon prayer]], there are two sermons said by Imam of Friday prayer who also leads the prayer. Most of the Shi'a [[jurists]] consider praying the Friday prayer, in the time of the [[Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)|occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a)]], as an [[disjunctive obligation]].

Holding the Friday prayer is one of the signs of the unity of the Islamic society and it is necessary to be held congregational. Considering the political and social content of the sermons, the Friday prayer is a worship which has also a political and social importance.

==Importance==

In [[Qur'an 62]], [[Allah]] clearly commands the faithful to take part in the Friday prayer:

===Benefits===

* [[Congregational Prayer|Congregational prayer]]

==Conditions==

In the Friday prayer, in addition to general conditions of [[Congregational prayer]]s, some other conditions are also necessary:

===Shi'a Friday Prayers===

One of the oldest reports about the Friday prayer in Shi'a societies, is the Friday prayer held in 329/940-1 in [[Buratha mosque]], in [[Baghdad]], by Ahmad b. al-Fadl al-Hashimi.<ref>Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, ''Tarikh Baghdad'', vol. 1, p. 430</ref> Even in the sedition of 349/960-1 in which the Friday prayer of Baghdad suspended, the Friday prayer of Buratha mosque had no break;<ref>Ibn al-Athir, ''al-Kamil fi l-tarikh'', vol. 8, p. 533</ref> but in 420/1029-30, by appointment of a Sunni Imam of Friday prayer by the [[caliph]], the Friday prayer suspended for a period.<ref>Ibn al-Jawzi, ''al-Muntazam fi tarikh al-muluk wa l-umam'', vol. 15, p. 198-201</ref> Also the Friday prayer was held in [[Jami' Ibn Tulun]] (359/969-70) and in al-Azhar jami' mosque (361/971-2) in [[Egypt]].<ref>Qummi, ''al-Kuna wa l-alqab'', vol. 2, p. 417; Ja'farian, ''Safawiyya dar 'arsa-yi din'', vol. 3, p. 258-259</ref> Also there are some evidences that in the first centuries of Islam the Friday prayer was held in the cities.<ref>Ja'farian, ''Namaz-i jum'a'', p. 23-25</ref>

====In Iran====

The Friday prayer gradually spread in the Shi'a [[Iran]], by the time of [[Shah Isma'il I]] (r. 907/1499-930/1524). This was because of the efforts of Shi'a scholars especially [[al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki]] for the spread of the Friday prayer.<ref>Muntaziri, ''al-Badr al-zahir'', p. 7; Ja'farian, ''Namaz-i jum'a'', p. 26-27</ref> Despite the agreement of many of [[jurist]]s, including some scholars of [[Jabal Amel]], with al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki, and the support of the [[Safawid]] government, the Friday prayer spread gradually in Iran, as saying the Friday prayer wasn't very common among Shi'a, and some scholars were against the holding of the Friday prayer in the time of [[Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a)]].<ref>Jabiri, ''Salat al-jumu'a'', p. 50-54; Ja'farian, ''Namaz-i jum'a'', p. 28</ref> Discussions and debates between scholars, about holding the Friday prayer in the time of the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a), came to the extent that [[Shah Sulayman I]] (r. 1077/1666-1105/1694) arranged a meeting of jurists, so they could reach a result.<ref>Al-Qazwini, ''Tatmim amal al-amil'', p. 172-173</ref>

Like the [[Safawid]] period, in the [[Qajar]] period (1210/1794-1344/1925) the Imam of Friday prayer was a governmental post.<ref>Muntaziri, ''al-Badr al-zahir'', p. 7</ref> Along with the decrease of validity of governmental religious posts, Imam of Friday prayer lost their religious and political importance. In late Qajar period (Iranian constitutional revolution) some of Imam of Friday prayer stood against the constitutionalist scholars.<ref>Ja'farian, ''Namaz-i jum'a'', p. 32</ref>

In the [[Pahlawi]] period (1343/1925-1398/1979) Imams of Friday prayer, especially in big cities, had official relations with the government, so did not have popularity and the Friday prayer was not common.<ref>Yazdi, ''Wazayif-i ruwhaniyyat'', p. 84</ref> Some scholars, independent from the government, were holding the Friday prayer and these prayers were popular.<ref>See: Kishwari, ''Farzanigan-i khwansar'', p. 133</ref>

[[File:Friday Prayer in University of Tehran leading by Ayatullah Taliqani.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|Friday Prayer in University of Tehran lead by [[Sayyid Mahmud Taliqani]]]]

After the [[Islamic revolution in Iran]] (1979) holding the Friday prayer became popular again. The first Friday prayer was held with the leadership of [[Sayyid Mahmud Taliqani]] (d. 1399/1980) –assigned by [[Imam Khomeini]]- in the University of Tehran.