Friday is a special day for Muslims. It is a holiday; it is a day of remembrance of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), a day of renewing repentance, and recharging spiritually for the entire week. On each Friday, Allah forgives all the sins of the believers (except for major sins) who pay proper attention to the value of this day. The sins will be forgiven for those who follow the steps that should be performed before, during, and after the Friday prayer. It is obligatory for men to attend the congregational Friday prayer in the mosque, and optional for women. As for appreciating the sanctity of Friday, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) repeatedly mentioned the significance of this special day. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The five daily prayers, and from one Friday prayer until the next, serves as an expiation for whatever sins have been committed between them, provided one does not commit any major sin." (Sahih Muslim) The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, "Verily, this [Friday] is the Eid day (day of celebration) that Allah has prescribed for the Muslims." To seize the opportunity to make Friday the day that our sins are erased and our blessings are increased, we can try to perform the following recommended acts each Friday. 1. Take a bath in the morning. 2. Brush your teeth, and preferably use the siwak to clean your teeth. 3. Apply scented oils or perfume, for the men only before leaving to the mosque. Women can wear perfume in the house, but not outside the house or in the presence of men other than her husband, father, brother, uncle, father-in-law, nephew, son). 4. Wear clean, nice clothes. 5. Read surah Al-Kahf, the 18th chapter of the Holy Qur'an, called The Cave. It is reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever recites ‘The Cave' on Friday, Allah will give him a light to the next Friday." (Bayhaqi) Scholars also commented that whoever reads this chapter every Friday will have a light in his/her face on the Day of Judgment. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said that reciting this chapter every Friday will help protect the believers from the tribulations of the Dajjal, the anti-Christ. (Sahih Muslim) 6. Make arrangements to arrive at the mosque as early as possible, before the sermon or Khutbah begins. The earlier you arrive, the greater your rewards from Allah. This Hadith beautifully illustrates how our rewards diminish if we are late for the sermon. I taught it to my kids and it certainly made rushing to Friday prayers less stressful for the whole family! Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "On Friday, the angels stand at the entrance of the mosque in which Friday prayer is to be offered. They write down the name of the person who enters the mosque first, and thereafter the name of the person who follows, and they continue doing this. The person who entered first will receive the reward of sacrificing a camel in the cause of Allah; the one who followed him will get the reward of sacrificing a cow, thereafter a chicken, thereafter the reward of giving an egg as charity. Once the sermon commences, the angels close the register and begin listening to the sermon." (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 7. Walk to the mosque if possible, and if circumstances are suitable. Of course this may not be feasible for some people, but there is a special reward and also a unique sense of serenity that one feels when walking to the mosque. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said about walking to the mosque, "Anyone whose feet are covered with dust in Allah's cause, shall be saved by Allah from the Hellfire." (Sahih Al-Bukhari) 8. Repeatedly send peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his family and descendents and companions. Saying this prayer may seem small but it is actually a great act of worship. We should make it a regular habit every day of the week, and especially on Friday. The authentic Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) states, "Whoever will send one blessing upon me, God will send ten blessings upon him." (Muslim) Keep your tongue on Friday constantly busy with sending peace and blessings on the Prophet because he can hear it on that day. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, your best day is Friday, so invoke blessings upon me in abundance on this day, for your invocation is presented to me." His companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah! How can our invocations be presented to you after your bones have turned to dust?" He (peace be upon him) replied "Verily, Allah has forbidden the earth from consuming the bodies of the Messengers." (Ibn Majah) 9. Listen attentively to the sermon. One should not speak at all during the sermon, not even to tell other to be quiet. Nor should one fiddle with any distractions. The sermon is meant to help you gain more in knowledge and to boost your faith. 10. Do not cut in between other worshipers or push or shove, and again, do not engage in any idle talk. 11. Perform the Friday prayer with the congregation in the mosque. 12. Make supplication to Allah. Raise your hands and ask your Lord of what you need in this world, and also to be of the successful in the Hereafter, those who will enter Paradise. Don't let your Friday pass you by without you making duaa, supplication for whatever it is that you want and need. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "There is such an hour on Friday that if any Muslim makes duaa in it, his duaa will definitely be accepted." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
