English
RECOMMENDED RITES OF FRIDAY
Too many are the recommended rites on Fridays; yet, we will briefly mention the following:
First: In the first unit of the dawn (fajr) Prayer, it is recommended to recite Surah al-Jumu’ah (No. 62) and, in the second unit, Surah al-Tawheed (No. 112).
Second: Before opening the mouth with any word, it is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer after the dawn (fajr) Prayer so that all sins committed throughout the week will be forgiven:
اَللّٰهُمَّ مَا قُلْتُ فِي جُمُعَتِيْ هٰذِهِ مِنْ قَوْلٍ
O Allah, whatever saying I have uttered this week,
اَوْ حَلَفْتُ فِيْهَا مِنْ حَلْفٍ
whatever oath I have taken during it,
اَوْ نَذَرْتُ فِيْهَا مِنْ نَذْرٍ
and whatever vow I have made during it,
فَمَشِيَّتُكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ ذٰلِكَ كُلِّهِ
verily, it is Your will that is before all that.
فَمَا شِئْتَ مِنْهُ اَنْ يَّكُوْنَ كَانَ
Hence, only that which You will to have effect will come to pass
وَ مَا لَمْ تَشَأْ مِنْهُ لَمْ يَكُنِ
and whatever You do not will to have effect will never come to pass.
اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَ تَجَاوَزْ عَنِّي
O Allah, (please) forgive me and overlook my offenses.
اَللّٰهُمَّ مَنْ صَلَّيْتَ عَلَيْهِ فَصَلَوَاتِي عَلَيْهِ
O Allah, whosoever You bless, then I invoke Your blessings upon him
وَ مَنْ لَعَنْتَ فَلَعْنَتِيْ عَلَيْهِ۔
and whosoever You curse, then I invoke Your curse upon him.
This act should be done once a month at least.
It has been also narrated that one who, after the accomplishment of the dawn (fajr) Prayer on Fridays, does devotional acts and says supplications and invocations until sunrise will be raised seventy ranks to the Supreme Paradise.
Shaykh al-Tusi has recorded that it is highly recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer after the dawn (fajr) Prayer on Fridays:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّي تَعَمَّدْتُ اِلَيْكَ بِحَاجَتِي
O Allah, I am resorting to You with my needs,
وَ اَنْزَلْتُ اِلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ فَقْرِيْ
and I am putting in Your presence my poverty,
وَ فَاقَتِيْ وَ مَسْكَنَتِيْ
my indigence, and my deprivation.
فَاَنَا لِمَغْفِرَتِكَ اَرْجٰى مِنِّي لِعَمَلِيْ
Verily, I hope for Your forgiveness more than I rely on my deeds.
وَ لِمَغْفِرَتُكَ وَ رَحْمَتُكَ اَوْسَعُ مِنْ ذُنُوْبِيْ
Indeed, Your forgiveness and Your mercy are more inclusive than my sins are.
فَتَوَلَّ قَضَاۤءَ كُلِّ حَاجَةٍ لِيْ بِقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَيْهَا
So, (please) embark on settling all my needs out of Your power over them,
وَ تَيْسِيْرِ [تَيَسُّرِ] ذٰلِكَ عَلَيْكَ
out of the easiness for You to do that,
وَ لِفَقْرِيْ اِلَيْكَ
and out of my urgent need for that.
فَاِنِّي لَمْ اُصِبْ خَيْرًا قَطُّ اِلَّا مِنْكَ
Verily, I have not gained any good thing save from You
وَ لَمْ يَصْرِفْ عَنِّي سُوۤءًا قَطُّ اَحَدٌ سِوَاكَ
and none could ever repel evil from me save You.
وَ لَسْتُ [لَيْسَ] اَرْجُوۤ لِاٰخِرَتِي وَ دُنْيَايَ
I hope for none to stand for me in my affairs of this world and the Next World
وَ لَا لِيَوْمِ فَقْرِيْ
and on the day of my poverty,
يَوْمَ يُفْرِدُنِي النَّاسُ فِي حُفْرَتِيْ
when people will leave me alone in my hole (i.e. grave)
وَ اُفْضِيْ اِلَيْكَ بِذَنْبِيْ سِوَاكَ۔
and I will then confess of my sins before You, except You.
Third: It has been narrated that one who says the following invocation after the Zohr and Fajr Prayers on Fridays, as well as other days, will catch Imam al-Mahdi(a.s.) before he dies:
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ۔
O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad and hasten their Relief.
In addition, it has been narrated that one who repeats the aforesaid invocation one hundred times will have sixty of his requests granted for him - thirty in this worldly life and thirty on the Resurrection Day.
Fourth: It is recommended to recite Surah al-Rahman (No. 55) after the Fajr Prayer on Fridays and to say, “None of Your favors do I deny,” wherever the verses, “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?” are recited.
Fifth: Shaykh al-Tusi has recorded that it is highly recommended to recite Surah al-Tawheed, to invoke Almighty Allah’s blessings upon Muhammad and his Household, and to pray Him for forgiveness each one hundred times after the Fajr Prayer on Fridays. It is also highly recommended to recite Surahs al-Nisa’ (No. 4), Hud (No. 11), al-Kahf (No. 18), al-Saaffaat (No. 37), and al-Rahman (No. 55) during that time.
Sixth: It is recommended to recite Surah al-Ahqaf (No. 46) and Surah al-Mu’minun (No. 23).
Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) is reported as saying that anyone who recites Surah al-Ahqaf at Friday nights or on Fridays will not be inflicted by dismays in his worldly life and will be saved from the horrors on the Resurrection Day. The Imam (a.s.) is also reported as saying that anyone who recites Surah al-Mu’minun regularly each Friday will come upon a happy end and will be granted an abode in the Supreme Paradise with the Prophets and Messengers of Almighty Allah.
Seventh: It is recommended to repeat Surah al-Kafirun (No. 109) ten times before sunrise and then pray Almighty Allah so that all prayers will be answered.
It has been narrated that Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-’Abidin (a.s.) used to repeat reciting Ayah al-Kursi (verse No. 255 of Surah al-Baqarah No. 2) from early morning up to midday (zohr) on Fridays. When he accomplished the obligatory prayers, he would recite Surah al-Qadr (No. 97) frequently.
It is worth mentioning that to recite Ayah al-Kursi in the form of revelation on Fridays achieves a great reward.
Eighth: It is highly recommended to bathe oneself. In fact, this is one of the most confirmed rituals of Fridays. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is reported to have instructed Imam Ali(a.s.) by saying, “O Ali; wash yourself every Friday even if you have to purchase water with your Daily provisions and have nothing to eat. Verily, no voluntary act is better than this.”
Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) is also reported to have said: Whoever washes himself on Fridays and, meanwhile, says the following supplicatory prayer will be pure all through that week:
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah,
وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ
the One, (there is) no associate with Him;
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ
and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
O Allah, send blessings to Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,
وَ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ التَّوَّابِيْنَ
and make me of those who turn to You constantly
وَ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِيْنَ۔
and those who keep themselves pure and clean.
“Pure” in the aforesaid Hadith stands for purification from sins or acceptance of the deeds, which is thus moral purification.
In any case, it is important not to neglect bathing oneself on Fridays when possible. The recommended time of this bathing is between sunrise and midday (zohr). In addition, the nearer to midday (zohr) the better.
Ninth: It is recommended to dye with hibiscus, for it saves from leprosy and insanity.
Tenth: It is also recommended to cut the mustache neatly and trim the nails so as not to miss the great merits of doing these acts. As has been mentioned in narrations, these acts bring about expansion in sustenance, cancellation of sins up to the next Friday, and security from insanity and leprosy. On doing that, it is recommended to say the following litany:
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ
In the Name of Allah (I begin);
وَ بِاللّٰهِ
and by (the command of) Allah
وَ عَلٰى سُنَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ [رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ ] وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ۔
and according to the tradition of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad (I do this).
It is also recommended, on cutting the nails, to start with the little finger of the left hand and end with that of the right hand. The same thing is applicable to the nails of the feet. Then, the cut nails should be buried.
Eleventh: It is recommended to apply perfume and put on the best of one’s clothes.
Twelfth: It is recommended to give alms, for the rewards are doubled up on Fridays and at Friday nights, as is confirmed by narrations, as one thousand folds as giving alms on other days.
Thirteenth: It is recommended to arrange fruits and wholesome meals to the family members so that Fridays will be their days of pleasure.
Fourteenth: It is recommended to eat pomegranate before breakfast and to eat seven leaves of endive before midday (zohr). In this connection, Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) is reported to have said, “The heart of him who eats a pomegranate before breakfast on Fridays will be enlightened for forty days. To eat two pomegranates increases the period of enlightenment to eighty days, and so on. It also dismisses the evil suggestions. Of course, to get rid of Satan’s suggestions is to stop acting disobediently to Almighty Allah; and to stop acting disobediently to Him allows entrance to Paradise.”
In al-Misbah, the author has said that to eat pomegranates on Fridays and at Friday nights achieves great merits.
Fifteenth: It is recommended to dedicate Fridays to learning the religious laws and instructions, not to wandering in others’ gardens, accompanying the vicious and the licentious, speaking about the others’ defects, laughing and guffawing, reciting poetry, and discussing useless subjects as well as similar matters. Disadvantages arisen from such matters are too many to be mentioned.
Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq(a.s.) is reported as saying, “Woe to a Muslim who does not dedicate Fridays to learning the affairs of his religion.”
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is also reported to have said, “If you, on Fridays, see old men telling the tales of infidelity and of the pre-Islamic era, you should then make their heads the targets of stones.”
Sixteenth: It is recommended to repeat one thousand times at least the invocation of blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) is reported to have said, “For me, no act of worship is more favorable than invoking blessings upon the Prophet and his immaculate Household - may Allah bless them all - on Fridays.”
If there is not enough time to repeat this invocation one thousand times, it must be repeated one hundred times at least so that faces will be brightened on the Judgement Day.
It has been also narrated that all sins will be totally forgiven for those who repeat invocations of blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household one hundred times, repeat the following supplicatory prayer one hundred times, and recite Surah al-Tawheed (No. 112) one hundred times on Fridays:
اَستَغفِرُاللهَ رَبِّی وَ اَتُوْبُ اِلَیْهِ۔
I pray the forgiveness of Allah—my Lord, and I repent before Him.
It has been also narrated that to invoke blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his household is equal (in reward) to seventy times of going on Hajj.
Seventeenth: It is recommended to say the ritual Ziyarahs of the Holy Prophet and Imams, peace be upon them all. A section of this book is dedicated to the etiquettes and methods of Ziyarahs.
Eighteenth: It is recommended to visit the tombs of one’s relatives in general and parents in particular. Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) is reported as saying, “Visit the graves of your relatives on Fridays, for they know about those who visit their graves and will be happy for that.”
Nineteenth: It is recommended to say Dua al-Nudbah Supplication, which is one of the rites to be done on the Four Feast Days (i.e. ‘Id al-Fitr - the first of Shawwal, ‘Id al-Adha - the tenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, ‘Id al-Ghadir - the eighteenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and Fridays).