The Friday prayer is 10 rakats: 4 rakats of sunnah before the fard, 2 rakats of fard in congregation after the khutbah, and 4 rakats of sunnah. On Friday it replaces Dhuhr. This is the Hanafi arrangement set out in the Diyanet Namaz İlmihali. The schools agree the fard is 2 rakats and disagree on the sunnahs.
| Part | Rakats | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| First sunnah | 4 | sunnah (prayed like the first sunnah of Dhuhr) |
| Khutbah | a condition of the Friday prayer | |
| Fard | 2 | fard, in congregation |
| Last sunnah | 4 | sunnah (prayed like the first sunnah of Dhuhr) |
| Total | 10 |
In what order is the Friday prayer prayed?
At the mosque, once the Dhuhr time has begun:
- First sunnah: 4 rakats, prayed like the first sunnah of Dhuhr.
- Khutbah: The imam-khatib ascends the minbar, the muezzin gives the adhan before the sermon, and the khutbah follows in two parts.
- Fard: The imam leads 2 rakats of Friday prayer, reciting al-Fatihah and the surah aloud, exactly as in a congregational Fajr.
- Last sunnah: 4 rakats, again prayed like the first sunnah of Dhuhr.
The High Council of Religious Affairs likewise states that the fard is 2 rakats, with 4 rakats of sunnah before the fard and 4 after.
— Source (Turkish): Diyanet Namaz İlmihali, "Friday prayer"; High Council of Religious Affairs, "Cuma namazı kaç rek'attır?"Why do the sunnahs differ between schools?
The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam says there is no disagreement that the fard is 2 rakats, while the sunnahs are disputed. According to the Hanafis, 4 rakats are prayed before the fard. After the fard it is 4 rakats according to Abu Hanifa, and 6 rakats (4 and 2) according to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad. The High Council of Religious Affairs notes that this view is traced to ‘Ali. In the Shafi'i school the sunnah after the fard is 4 rakats, with a salam after every two.
The widespread practice in Turkey is 4 before and 4 after, 10 rakats in all.
— Source (Turkish): TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Rek'at"; High Council of Religious AffairsWho must pray the Friday prayer?
According to the High Council, the Friday prayer is fard for sane, adult, healthy, free and resident Muslim men. The khutbah is a condition for its validity. The prayer is held at Dhuhr time and in congregation; if prayed before or after Dhuhr time it is not valid.
Women are not obliged to attend. This is an exemption, not a deprivation, and if they come to the mosque and pray it, it is valid and they do not pray Dhuhr afterwards. Travelers and the sick are also not obliged, but their Friday prayer is valid if they pray it.
— Source (Turkish): High Council of Religious Affairs, "Cuma Namazı ve Zuhr-i Ahir namazının hükmü"; Namaz İlmihali, "Friday prayer"; TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Cuma"During the khutbah
The khutbah is listened to in silence. Once the khatib has mounted the minbar, no voluntary prayer is offered until the Friday prayer ends. The Prophet said:
— Abu Hurayrah; al-Bukhari and MuslimIf you say to your companion 'listen' on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon, you have thus engaged in idle talk.
Of the day itself, he said:
— Abu Hurayrah; MuslimThe best day upon which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was admitted to Paradise, on it he was expelled therefrom, and the Hour will not take place except on Friday.
For Friday supplications see Friday duas, and for a sermon on the day see the Friday sermon. Short wishes to send each week are collected on the Jummah Mubarak messages page.
If you join the imam late
According to the Hanafi view reported by the High Council of Religious Affairs, whoever catches one rakat with the imam adds one more after the imam's salam. Whoever joins the imam in the final Tashahhud stands after the salam and prays two rakats, and has completed the Friday prayer.
In the Maliki and Shafi'i view, you must catch at least one rakat with the imam to count as having caught the Friday prayer. Someone who joins after the imam has risen from the bowing of the second rakat completes his prayer as four rakats of Dhuhr.
— Source (Turkish): High Council of Religious Affairs, "Cuma namazına selâmdan önce yetişen kimse..."Missing the Friday prayer, and the final Dhuhr
Those who are not obliged to attend, or who cannot for an excuse, pray Dhuhr that day. A man who skips Friday without an excuse and prays Dhuhr at home has, according to the Hanafis, prayed a valid Dhuhr but is sinful for leaving Friday. According to the other three schools and the Hanafi Imam Zufar that Dhuhr is invalid and must be prayed again after the Friday prayer.
The "final Dhuhr" (zuhr al-akhir) is a precautionary four-rakat prayer some pray after Friday. The High Council of Religious Affairs concluded that those who prayed Friday need not pray it, and that anyone who wishes to should not be stopped.
— Source (Turkish): Namaz İlmihali, "The time of the Friday prayer"; High Council of Religious Affairs, on skipping Friday; on the final DhuhrSee also how many rakats is Dhuhr and the table of all prayers in how many rakats in each prayer. More on the day's significance: the significance of the Friday prayer.
Sources
- Diyanet Presidency of Religious Affairs, Namaz İlmihali (Karagöz, Altuntaş), Ankara 2011 (Turkish): PDF
- High Council of Religious Affairs, how many rakats is the Friday prayer (Turkish): kurul.diyanet.gov.tr
- High Council of Religious Affairs, the ruling on Friday prayer and the final Dhuhr (Turkish): kurul.diyanet.gov.tr
- High Council of Religious Affairs, joining the Friday prayer late (Turkish): kurul.diyanet.gov.tr
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Rek'at" (Turkish): islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/rekat; "Cuma": islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/cuma
