SECRETS OF FRIDAY PRAYER (SALATUL JUMUAH)
By Babatunde Jose
O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew! And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: And celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): That ye may prosper. But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave thee standing. Say: “The (blessing) from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain! And Allah is the Best to provide (for all
needs).” Quran 62:9-11)
Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari narrated that the Prophet said: “The similitude of someone who remembers his Lord and someone who does not is like that of the living and the dead.” (Al-Bukhari)
There are many benefits in remembering Allah always:- Remembrance of Allah aims at growing closer to Allah. Remembrance of Allah revives the heart and gives it strength. The Prophet [pbuh] said: ‘He who remembers his Lord and he who does not remember his Lord are like the living and the dead.’
Remembrance of Allah leads to the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment. Remembrance of Allah is a protection from the hard life in the world and blindness on the Day of Judgment. See Quran 20:124-126. Remembrance of Allah is a protection from hellfire on the Day of Judgment.
Remembrance of Allah restrains evil actions and prevents shameful deeds just as prayer does. See Quran 29:45. Remembrance of Allah is a reason for forgiving the sins, getting high status and great reward. Remembrance of Allah will increase reward in the scale on the Day of Judgement.
Friday, is primarily the Day of Assembly, the weekly meeting of the Congregation, when we show our unity by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a Khutba, in which the Imam (or Leader) reviews the week’s life of the Community and offers advice and exhortation on good living.
The mechanical part of this ordinance is easy to carry out. Are we carrying out the more difficult part? the spirit of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action?
The answer to the above question begs for an answer. It speaks to our leaders, our Seriki Adini, our Asiwajus and Baba Adinis: They jostle for front row space but fail to imbibe the admonitions and preachments of our Imams.
The society would have been a better place to live if only the weekly admonitions are strictly adhered to and followed as Allah says in the Quran. But the opposite is what our front-row leaders engage in. The simplest commandment of ‘thou shall not steal nor covet the property of your neighbours’ is strange to them.
However, while calling out the leaders, we should also apportion blame to the Imams and religious leaders who in most cases have exhibited unpardonable acts of timidity, collusion and collaboration with our corrupt leaders. Like ‘yellow envelope journalists’ many Imams cannot speak truth to authority and only preach tongue in cheek. And in this way are themselves Munafiqun. Unfortunately, for both preachers of falsehood and the practitioners of dishonesty, Allah sees them all because ‘Baba God’ is not a hypocrite.
There are however some fiery priests and Imams who will preach the truth, regardless of whose horse is gored. It was a Catholic priest who once railed at our leaders, some of whom were present at the Church of Assumption in Falomo, years ago that ‘God must punish our leaders for their iniquities and if God fails to punish them, He must apologise to Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Chief Missioner of Ansar-U-Deen is another preacher in the above mould. He it was who said that our leaders should beware because on the Day of Qiyamah, there will be a very long queue and that it shall be everyman for himself; no orderly, no siren, no dispatch rider, no kill and go to ‘clear the road’ ( for jaga jaga).
And the Holy Prophet added the clincher, when he said that a ‘well dressed man on earth will find himself naked on the Day of Judgement’.
That is why the Khutbah is so important, it is to remind all believers that they are on this earth for a purpose. It is to remind them that there is a reality to this universe that they cannot forget, and that is they exist to worship and serve Allah (swt) and one day soon they will stand before Him (swt) and He (swt) will judge them on how well they did in their duty towards Him (swt).
It is therefore an obligation for us to leave and abandon all the affairs of the life of this world when the time of Salatul Jumuah comes. But, Allah says: So when the Salah is completed, then disperse the land, and seek (for yourself) from the Grace of Allah, and remember Allah much so that you may be successful.( Quran 62:10)
We have to go out into the world and look for the Grace of Allah. Just like the birds that leave their nests in the morning with their stomachs empty, they go out into the world and seek Allah’s provision. They work the whole day looking for their food until finally when they come back to their nests in the evening, their stomachs are full.
For some Muslims all that they can think about is gaining the provisions of this world. They forget the hadith of the Prophet (saw) where he (saw) said that we should be in this world as if we are a traveller. A traveller does not seek too many provisions, he only looks for what can sustain him on his journey and what will get him to his destination. Our destination is the paradise of Allah (swt) and His (swt)’s pleasure. That is the goal that we must always focus and that is what we must strive to achieve.
However, bearing that in mind, we must also prevent ourselves from becoming like some Muslims who completely renounce everything from this world. They say that to live a life of poverty and hunger is a sign of piety and closeness to Allah (swt). Those Muslims should be reminded of this ayah where Allah (swt) tells us to go out and seek of His Grace. There is no piety in a vow of poverty.
Allah (swt) says “and remember Allah much that you may be successful”. Allah is saying that whatever is our economic pursuit, we should never forget Him. When our mind is always remembering Allah (swt) it will prevent us from being carried away by the life of this world: Because:” that which is with Allah (swt) is better than amusement and trade.”
Allah (swt) is the Provider of everything that we have. Every drop of water we drink, every morsel of food that we eat, every breath of air that we take, every garment of cloth that we wear, every roof that protects our heads and walls that keep us safe. All these different forms of sustenance come only from Allah (swt). This fact alone should remind us that it is not worth sacrificing our Hereafter because of the things of this world.
May Allah (swt) always provide for everyone in this Ummah everything that they need! May Allah (swt) always keep our focus on Him (swt) and the Hereafter and not on the temporary and fleeting things of this world!
*Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.*
