Friday Prayers Reminder

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.

All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Dear Brothers and Sisters …                                     السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ –

O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

An aspect of human nature is forgetfulness, as well as an inclination towards diversions and lusts and a tendency towards laziness and comfort. And it is from the balanced innate disposition to remember upon being reminded and to take heed upon being advised.

For remembrance inspires the mind so that it does not become lethargic, and softens the heart so that it does not harden, and alerts the conscience so that it is not neglectful, and energizes the soul so one hastens towards deeds, and revives the noble character and striving in addressing shortcomings and promoting self-accountability, and extending hands in spending, and refraining from the prohibited, And if reminding is left, people forget about the religion and hearts will be veiled due to the effects of sin. Then no exhortation will be of use to this heart as it has darkened, hardened and deviated. And this is because reminding and admonishing the heart was abandoned. Allah Almighty said:

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ-الأنعام  44

Al Anam (6) 44: So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.

For whoever hates reminders or does not benefit from them should check their īmān (faith) because Allāh Almighty said:

وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ المُؤْمِنِينَ-الذاريات  55

Ad Dhariyat (51) 55: And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.

So, there is no reminder but a believer benefits from it. And their benefiting is according to their adherence to religion and the righteousness of their hearts and their readiness to accept what they receive of exhortation and reminders.

Whoever looks at the day of Friday and what it contains of rites, knows that Allah Almighty has made it a day of reminding for Muslims. For seven days do not pass in which they are absorbed in work and diversions and inattention and being occupied with family and increasing from this worldly life except that the day of Friday comes. A day of reminding to wake up the hearts and purify the souls and to remove the stains of heedlessness and to remove the worldly troubles. So that the hearts turn to Allah Almighty once more and the bodies are active in performing righteous deeds.

Friday is a day of reminder because of what it contains of virtues, and what was designated within it of rites. For due to its virtue, Friday was singled out for reciting certain Surahs in some of its prayers. And whoever carefully looks at these surahs, finds that they urge their reciter and listener towards remembrance and warns from turning away from them.

For in the Friday Fajr prayer, it is recommended to recite Surah Sajdah and Surah Insan. And they are two Surahs that summarize the beginning and the return. By reminding about the creation of mankind and their deeds in the worldly life and their fate in the hereafter

And more amazing than that is that reminding is specified in both surahs. For in the beginning of Surah As-Sajdah:

اللهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ-السجدة 4

As-Sajdah (32) 4: It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?

And in the middle of the surah a reminder of those who take heed and those who do not take heed so that one can choose in which group to be. Allah Almighty said:

فَذُوقُوا بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا إِنَّا نَسِينَاكُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ-السجدة  14-15

As-Sajdah (32) 14-15: (14) So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your Day; indeed, We have [accordingly] forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.” (15) Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.

And at the conclusion of the surah, there is a severe warning to those turning away from the admonishments and reminders:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا إِنَّا مِنَ المُجْرِمِينَ مُنْتَقِمُونَ-

As-Sajdah (32) 22: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.

As for the second raka, the first verse one hears after the recitation of Al Fatihah is:

هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا-الإنسان  1

Al Insan (76) 1: Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?

This human who was not mentioned before they were created, and became mentioned after their creation and has a name by which they are known, must remember their Lord Almighty and never ever forget Him. And must remember what is due to Him the Most Exalted.

And Surah Insan is concluded with a reminder when Allah Almighty clarified the fate of mankind and some of their deeds. For there are people for Paradise and people for the Fire. And He the Almighty concludes His words with:

إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا-الإنسان

Al Insan (76) 29: Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.

Yes, it is a reminder. And its reminder is recited to the people every Friday.

And reciting Surah Al Kahf was prescribed on the day of Friday.  And it has four narratives that remind about the obligation of īmān (faith) and warning against shirk (associating others with Allāh), and the importance of knowledge and cautioning against ignorance, and to not be deluded by prestige and wealth.

And in Surah Al Kahf is warning against heedlessness because it is the opposite of remembrance which is the aim of reminding.

وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا-الكهف

Al Kahf (18) 28: And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.

And what is amazing is what was mentioned in Surah As-Sajdah of warning against heedlessness was repeated in Surah Al Kahf in another manner. And warning those turning away from the reminder, in this manner, is only found in these two surahs that were singled out for Friday.  Allāh Almighty said:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى الهُدَى فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا

Al Kahf (18) 57: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance – they will never be guided, then – ever.

And from the sunnahs of Friday prayer is reciting Surah Al Juma’ and Surah Al Munafiqoon in it or Surah Al A’la and Surah Al Ghashiyah. And reminding is what these four surahs have in common. For in the last part of Surah Al Jumu’ah:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَذَرُوا البَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ-الجمعة  9

Al Jumu’ah (62) 9: O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. 

And remembrance of Allah, which we were commanded to proceed to is the Friday Khutbah which is a reminder and its prayer. And for this reason, Allah Almighty said “then proceed to the remembrance of Allah”. And Allah did not say to proceed to the Friday Prayer such that the Khutbah is included in the remembrance of Allah Almighty. Because it is reminding of Him Almighty and His rights.

And Surah Al Munafiqoon was concluded with a verse prohibiting being heedless of remembrance and reminding. Allah Almighty said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الخَاسِرُونَ-المنافقون  9

Al Munafiqoon (63) 9: O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that – then those are the losers.

As for the other two surahs, Al A’la and Al Ghashiyah, they contain the command to remind and explanation of the deeds and condition of those who are reminded. In Surah Al A’la:

فَذَكِّرْ إِنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى * سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَى * وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى * الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى * ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَى-الأعلى  9-13

Al A’la (87) 9-13: (9) So remind, if the reminder should benefit; (10) He who fears [Allah] will be reminded. (11) But the wretched one will avoid it (12) [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire, (13) Neither dying therein nor living.

And in Surah Al Ghashiyah:

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ * لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُصَيْطِرٍ * إِلَّا مَنْ تَوَلَّى وَكَفَرَ * فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللهُ الْعَذَابَ الْأَكْبَرَ-الغاشية  21-24

Al Ghashiyah (88) 21-24: (21) So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder. (22) You are not over them a controller. (23) However, he who turns away and disbelieves (24) Then Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.

We ask Allah Almighty to soften our hearts for the reminders and make us among those who understand and benefit from the reminders, and to make us among His righteous servants. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as your Lord commanded:

Allahumma Sallai Al’a Muahmmad’n wa’aila Muhammad

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

For Any further Information please contact me at info@irlammosque.org. By Imam Mahboob Rasool