Merits of Friday

Merits of Friday

Friday days and nights excel the other days and nights in standing, honor, and regard. In this connection, the Holy Prophet (pbut) is reported to have said, “Surely, in each hour of the twenty- four hours of the Friday day and night, Almighty Allah releases from Hellfire six hundred thousand persons.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is reported to have said, “One who dies in the period between midday on Thursdays and midday on Fridays will be released, by Almighty Allah, from pressure in graves.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported as saying, “Verily, Fridays enjoy rights (incumbent upon people). Therefore, beware of violating Fridays’ sanctity through showing shortcoming in acts of worship; rather, seek nearness to Almighty Allah by means of righteous deeds and abandonment of all forbidden acts. Certainly, on Fridays, Almighty Allah doubles up the rewards of good deeds, erases forgivingly punishments for evildoings, and raises the ranks of faith. Friday daytimes are the same as Friday nights; therefore, you may, when possible, stay up supplicating and offering prayers to Almighty Allah Who, at that night, orders the angels to descend to the lower sky in order to double up the rewards and erase the evildoings. Most surely, Allah is Ample-giving and All-generous.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported, in a validly reported tradition, to have said, “When a believing individual prays to Him for granting him his request, Almighty Allah may postpone the answer of that request to Friday in order that the individual will be given all the more due to the exclusive merit of Fridays.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is also reported as narrating that when Prophet Yusuf (a.s.)’s brothers asked their father, Prophet Yaqoub (a.s.), to ask Almighty Allah’s forgiveness of their faults, he promised to do that. Yet, he postponed that appeal to Friday early dawn so as to guarantee response.

Again, Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is reported as saying that on Friday nights, fishes in oceans and beasts in wildernesses raise their heads and pray Almighty Allah saying in a loud sound, “O Our Lord; torture us not for the sins of the human beings.”

Imam Mohammad Baqir (a.s.) is reported to have said that on Friday nights, Almighty Allah gives orders to an angel—on behalf of Him—to call out, from above the Divine Throne, throughout the night, “Is there not any believing servant who will, right now, supplicate Me, before dawn comes upon him, for his world and Next World needs so that I will respond to him? Is there not any believing servant who, right now, repents to Me, before dawn comes upon him, and gives up his sins so that I will accept his repentance? Is there not any believing servant whose sustenance has been reduced who will, right now, prays Me for increase, before dawn comes upon him, so that I will increase and develop his sustenance? Is there not any believing servant, being ailed, who will, right now, pray to Me for healing, before dawn comes upon him, so that I will heal him? Is there not any believing servant, being grieved and detained, who will, right now, pray Me for relief and release, before dawn comes upon him, so that I will relieve and release him? Is there not any believing servant, being oppressed, who will, right now, pray to Me for giving him victory and releasing him from oppression, before dawn comes upon him, so that I will back and release from oppression?” This angel will keep saying so until dawn.

Likewise, Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) is reported to have said, “As He has chosen Friday, Almighty Allah has decided their daytimes and nights to be feasts. One of its merits is whoever beseeches Him on Fridays will be granted his request. Chastisement that is decided for a people because of an evildoing will be canceled by Him if that evildoing is committed on Friday. All graces that Almighty Allah decides are put into practice on Friday nights. Hence, Friday nights are more favorable than other nights and so are their days.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is reported as saying, “Avoid committing any act of disobedience (to Almighty Allah) on Friday nights, for the punishments of evildoing are doubled up, and rewards for good deeds are also doubled up. Whoever avoids committing an act of disobedience on Friday nights; Almighty Allah will forgive all of his previous sins. In the same way, whoever challenges Almighty Allah by committing an act of disobedience on such nights, Almighty Allah will punish him for each and every act of disobedience that he did in his whole lifetime and will double up the punishment for him.”

It has been authentically narrated on the authority of Imam Rida (a.s.) that the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hh) said, “Verily, Friday is the master of days. On Fridays, Almighty Allah doubles up the rewards for good deeds, erases, forgivingly, the punishments for evildoings, raises the ranks of faith, responds to prayers, relieves from misfortunes, and fulfills the grand requests. Friday is the day of bonus. Almighty Allah, on Fridays, releases numerous individuals from Hellfire.

When anyone prays Him on Friday while having already appreciated the actual standing and the sanctity of this day, it will be incumbent upon Almighty Allah to release him/her from Hellfire. If that individual dies on that day or night, he/she will be decided as a martyr and will be resurrected on the Judgment Day. Conversely, if one belittles the sanctity of Friday and disrespects its standings, it will be incumbent upon Almighty Allah to cast him/her into Hellfire unless he/she repents thereafter.”

Imam Mohammad Baqir (a.s.) is reported, through an authentic chain of authority, to have said, “Sunlight has never risen in a day better than Friday. When birds meet each other on that day, they greet each other with, Peace! Good day!”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) is authentically reported to have said, “On Fridays, do not engage yourselves in anything other than acts of worship, for the servants’ faults are forgiven and the divine mercy is sent down on Fridays.”

Finally, the merits of Friday daytimes and nights are too many to be cited in this brief introduction.

RECOMMENDED ACTS ON FRIDAYS

Prayers after Fajr and Asr Prayers on Fridays

Repeat the following ten times;

O Allah bless Mohammad (pbuh) and the Family of Mohammad (a.s.),

the approved successors, with Thy superior-most blessings; and give joy and happiness to them, the highest degree of Thy approval;

and peace be on them; and Allah’s tenderness and abundance be for them.

And having a great deal of rewards, this salawat has been suggested to be recited in Friday late afternoon.

- Supplication of Rasool Allah (pbuh) on Friday or Friday Eve

Rasool Allah (pbuh&hh) said, “If one dies at night after having recited this Supplication on Friday or Friday eve, then he will enter Paradise”.

O Allah Thou art my Lord. There is no god except Thou. Thou brought me into being,

I am Thy obedient servant, child of Thy slave, in Thy unconditional service, in person standing at Thy disposal.

I refer to Thy undertaking and promise,

that who seeks humbly Thy approval and consent to get rid of evil, Thou shall favor him with atonement.

Allow me to make amends for my sins; surely no one can forgive except Thou.

- Supplication on the day of Arafah

Sheikh Toosi, Syed ibn Tawus, Sheikh Kafami and Syed ibn Baqi said that it is recommended to recite the following Supplication on Friday, Friday eve (Thursday night), on the day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah) and also on the preceding night of Arafah. This Supplication has been taken from Sheikh Toosi’s “Misbah al Mutahajjid”.

O my Allah! Many a man takes pain, makes compromises, uses artifices, comes to terms, to draw attention of other men in hope of profit and gain, kindness and indulgence,

but unto Thee, O Lord, I turn to for fitness and maturity, seeking Thy favors, making a request for Thy indulgence and kindness,

because Thou does not dismiss praying suppliant. O He Who does not send away any destitute disappointed; nor is ever at a disadvantage because of extravagance; giving without restraint.

Surely I have come to Thee with no good deeds to rely upon, but I never go to others to draw their attention.

I have come to Thee, bitter and sour on account of vain desires, sad and desolate, ashamed of my guilt. Without any excuse or argument

I have come to Thee to make a request for Thy lenient method that Thou use to deal with wrongdoers;

because prolonged fascination for an artificial life does not make Thee withdraw Thy mercy.

O He Who shows mercy, again and again, and forgives, ever so beyond measure. O The Magnificent! O The Magnificent! O The Magnificent!

Nothing turns off Thy anger except Thy loving attention; nothing keeps safe from Thy displeasure, except humble submissiveness, unto Thee.

So forgive me O my Lord and Master, free me of care and anxiety, as Thou has the skill and mastery to make even the barren dead ground grow green, and be fertile;

and do not make me rush into deadly danger, in frustration, give answer to my call, tell me that my request has received approval,

let me have the full use of the welfare I am allowed, till the end of my life. Do not give my enemy a chance to laugh at me, do not give him an upper hand over me, do not let him tread on the neck of his victim, me.

O Allah! If Thou hinders my progress, then who is there that can promote my cause! If Thou improves my station, then who is there that can lower my position!

If Thou condemns me, then who can speak to Thee on behalf of Thy servant and draw Thy attention to his plight!

I know for sure there is no injustice in what Thou decides upon, nor Thou punishes in a hurry,

for only he makes haste, who is liable to lose the chance, or only the weak and Stupid resort to highhandedness;

and Thou stands high and above, O my Lord and Master, away from this, the sublime the Greatest.

O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee, so give me asylum; I look for Thy protection, so watch over me.

I ask for a means of livelihood, so keep up me. I rely upon Thee, so make me content.

I turn to Thee for help against my enemy, so support me. I run after Thy help, so stand by me.

I strive for Thy forgiveness, O My Lord and Master! Forgive me. Ameen. Ameen. Ameen.

- Supplication of Friday Sunrise

The following Supplication is to be recited on Fridays after sunrise;

I seek the light of the morning under the protective shelter of Allah, under the watchful eyes of His Angels, under the safe security of His Prophets and Messengers, peace be on them,

under the reliable surety of Mohammad, blessings of Allah be on Him and His Progeny, under the trustworthy guaranty of the successors of Mohammad, peace be upon them,

I believe in and rely upon Aal e Mohammad wholeheartedly, peace be upon them, publicly known, distinct, evident, perceived by hearts.

I testify that they are signs of Allah, in His service, like Mohammad, blessings of Allah be on Him and His Progeny.

- Istafghar before Friday Morning Prayer

If one repeats the following 3 times before Friday morning prayer (Fajr), then his sins will be forgiven even though they are more than the sea foams.

I seek forgiveness of Allah who is "There is no god save HE"; the Ever living; the Eternal, and I turn repentant to Him.

- Supplications to be recited after Friday Morning Prayer

First Supplication

Before pronouncing any word one should recite the following Supplication after his morning prayer so that it would be the atonement (kaffarah) for his sins from this Friday till the next. One should do this at least once a month.

My Allah! Whatever I say on the day of this Friday, or whatever I take up with, or whatever I devote myself to,

in conformity with Thy directions, is before Thee, from A to Z. So what Thou wills to do in this connection do, and what Thou does not will to do don't.

My Allah forgive me, and be indulgent. My Allah, whom so Thou has blessed, I adore him, whom so Thou has cursed, I hate him.

Second Supplication

Sheik Toosi narrates it is recommended to recite this Supplication as a post-prayer ritual (ta’qib) for Friday Morning Prayer:

My Allah! I cling to Thee with my wants and needs, I put up to Thee today my woes of distress, hunger and poverty,

I expect to receive forgiveness from Thee, from whom more is to be hoped for than my conduct deserves, Authority of Thy forgiveness and mercy extends far and wide and can easily make room for and set at ease my guilt and shame.

So follow close upon the issue of my demands, on account of the absolute authority Thou commands, because for Thee it is very easy to deal with them, my dilemma of misery is before Thee,

I never am inclined towards good but only when inspired by Thee, and sins never leave me alone unless Thou separate them from me.

There is no hope of relief neither in the Hereafter nor in this world, or when the day loneliness will surround me, at the time when people bury me in the grave and I lay bare myself before Thee with my sins, except from Thee.

- Supplication while performing Friday Ghusl (ritual bath)

One should perform Friday ghusl (ritual bath) which is a sunnah of Rasool Allah (pbuh). It has been narrated that Rasool Allah (pbuh) said to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.),

“O’ Ali (a.s.)! Perform ghusl every Friday even if you have to sell your daily bread and remain hungry in order to buy water because there is no greater recommended practice than this.”

It is narrated from Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) that one should read the following Supplication when performing ghusl on Fridays. It would be a purity of his sins from this Friday till the next; that is, his sins would be purged, or his deeds will enjoy spiritual purity and they will be accepted.

And it is more precautious not to neglect performing Friday ghusl. Its performance time is from dawn to noon. It is preferable to perform it near midday as far as possible.

I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, the One, there is no associate with Him; and I testify that Mohammad (pbuh) is His Servant, and is His Messenger.

O Allah, send blessings on Mohammad (pbuh) and on the Family of Mohammad (a.s.).

Make me one of those who turn repentance to Allah, and those who have been purified.